Group 6 Metals (ASX: G6M) has announced that it will collaborate with University of Tasmania as part of its “Environmentally Sustainable Production of Critical Minerals” program, in a move that the company says will benefit its tungsten assets on King Island.
G6M is one of several Tasmanian miners that will work with UTAS on the initiative, with the university’s Centre for Ore Deposit and Earth Sciences (CODES) receiving $3.5 million to research ecologically-sustainable production of critical metals in collaboration with regional industry partners.
Addressing the news, Group 6 Metals Chief Executive Officer Keith McKnight said: “Operating the Dolphin Tungsten Mine in an environmentally sustainable way is a key part of our ESG (environment, social and governance) strategy as we progress toward producing first tungsten concentrate next year. This project with the University of Tasmania not only has the potential to support Group 6’s endeavours in this area but may also have a much broader impact for the critical minerals sector in Tasmania.
“This project with the University of Tasmania not only has the potential to support Group 6’s endeavours in this area but may also have a much broader impact for the critical minerals sector in Tasmania”
“We see several potential benefits for Group 6 in this exciting project, including an improvement to our exploration techniques which may lead to an increase in our resource base across our tungsten assets. This project will also aim to enhance our recoveries of tungsten in the years ahead as we become a tungsten producer of global significance on King Island. Importantly, the project aligns well with G6M’s vision of maximising the extraction of tungsten metal from the Company’s orebodies and our intention to lead the way with environmentally sensitive downstream processing.”
G6M notes that it will grant UTAS access to its ‘world-class’ tungsten assets on King Island, including the under-construction Dolphin Mine, the historic Bold Head Mine, and its exploration tenements, as part of the project.
University employees will collaborate on research projects with G6M staff, and the company will provide in-kind support, logistics, information, and access to drill core, mining, and processing activities.
Tungsten is recognised by the Australian and other worldwide governments as a critical mineral required for long-term economic growth and development.
Work on the collaboration is expected to begin near the end of 2022. The Company commenced construction of its Dolphin Tungsten Mine in Q1 CY2022 and is targeting first tungsten concentrate in Q1 CY2023.
Images: Group 6 Metals Limited
