Duketon Mining (ASX:DKM) announces the receipt of positive metallurgical results for the C2 nickel resource within its Duketon Project in Western Australia’s Eastern Goldfields region.
The company reports that a composite sample from diamond drilling was processed through a number of flotation tests during the past few months.
The primary objective of this test work was to assess nickel flotation response for C2 and determine the recovery to a saleable grade (>10%Ni) concentrate. Assessment of concentrate quality, including Fe:MgO ratio and other deleterious elements was also included.
The test work was completed by Strategic Metallurgy.
The C2 composite was prepared from select drill core intervals that represent the known resource zones. The core samples were all from the hole DKDD0030 between 205m – 235m with sample IDs DKM38779 – DKM38813.
The nickel assay of all intervals ranged between 0.6% Ni – 2.5% Ni and formed the composite with a grade of 1.07% Ni. These tests confirm that C2 ore responds well to conventional flotation and produces a saleable concentrate.
Open circuit recovery is as high as 77.3% to a saleable concentrate with nickel grades ranging from 11%-18% Ni and an Fe:MgO of between 12-20:1.
Duketon anticipates with further metallurgical work the recovery can be improved without compromising any of the key elements. Platinum and palladium were recovered into the concentrate however are not present at high enough levels to warrant credits.
Low levels of deleterious elements were detected in concentrate but are not expected to incur any penalties.
Copper and cobalt are present in levels expected to receive concentrate by-product credits.
The positive result in these tests allow DKM to move forward with infill drilling the C2 deposit to an indicated status so it can be used for scoping study level assessment and extending the resource along strike and down dip.
C2 contains 5.7 million tonnes at 0.7% nickel, 0.04% copper and 0.14g/t platinum and palladium for a contained 38,000 tonnes of nickel, 2,370 tonnes of copper and 26,000oz of platinum and palladium at 0.5% nickel cut-off.
Addressing the results, DKM Managing Director Stuart Fogarty said: “What a great result. 13% Ni in concentrate and a highly attractive Fe:MgO ratio of between 12-20:1.
“The simplicity of the flowsheet and the metallurgical processes invoked at C2 to produce a saleable concentrate is a testimony to the quality of C2”
The simplicity of the flowsheet and the metallurgical processes invoked at C2 to produce a saleable concentrate is a testimony to the quality of C2. These results in conjunction with the previous results from Rosie prove that there is an effective metallurgical pathway for the successful extraction of both deposits and fundamentally underpins the criteria for an operation.
This allows DKM to drill out the inferred resource at C2 with the intention of converting it into an indicated resource and growing it through extensions beyond the current 38,000 nickel tonne resource.”
Duketon Mining holds tenure within the highly prospective Duketon Greenstone Belt, north of Laverton in the Eastern Goldfields mineral province.
The belt has been explored for both gold and nickel since the late 1800s and total discoveries of this belt stand at over 87,000 tonnes of nickel and 8Moz of gold.
The total JORC compliant nickel resource for the Bulge Area now stands at 87,100 tonnes of nickel, 12,900 tonnes of copper and 231,500 ounces of PGEs.
Images: Duketon Mining Ltd
