Terra Metals (ASX:TM1) has completed the phase one metallurgical testwork program which demonstrates the potential for the Dante Reefs Project to be a source of a range of “commercially attractive products.”
The company says three concentrates — copper-gold-platinum group metals sulphides, vanadium-magnetite, and titanium-ilmenite — were produced with recovery rates using simple, low-cost processing techniques.
Initial testwork completed on representative composite samples from diamond drilling at Dante Reefs returned metal recoveries of 95.8% copper, 75.8% gold, and 74.4% platinum group metals.
Terra reports vanadium-magnetite concentrate grading 1.81% vanadium pentoxide has been produced using low-cost magnetic separation.
Meanwhile, titanium-ilmenite concentrate grading 50% titanium oxide has been produced using low-cost magnetic separation.
CEO Thomas Line says the results show the economic potential of the project, outlining the potential for Dante Reefs to produce copper, gold, platinum, titanium, and vanadium products.
“We will continue our systematic development of the deposit, including phase two optimisation testwork and delineation of a maiden resource,” Line says.
“Given the large amount of work undertaken last year, we believe we can achieve these next major milestones cost-effectively with modest further investment.”
The company’s ongoing exploration aims to further delineate the scale and quality of the multi-commodity deposit, reinforcing the potential as a source of critical minerals.
The Dante Project, located in the West Musgrave region of Western Australia, contains copper, gold, platinum group metals, vanadium, and titanium.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Terra Metals
