Pivotal Metals (ASX:PVT) has recovered up to 90% copper after conducting multiple batch floatation tests, as part of the maiden metallurgical testwork program at the Horden Lake Project in Québec, Canada.
The company says the copper performance supports the development credibility of Horden Lake and complements the growing resource potential.
Preliminary metallurgical testwork results show that Horden Lake can produce a clean “high-grade” copper concentrate at recovery levels between 85% and 90%, using conventional flotation techniques.
Managing Director Ivan Fairhall says copper is the dominant metal on the project and these results are a “strong” endorsement of the future development potential of Horden Lake.
“Not only have we achieved high copper recoveries, but the production of clean high-grade concentrates containing value adding precious metals by-products maximises the revenue and financing potential of the deposit, adding significant strategic value to the company given the severe copper market deficits being widely forecast,” Fairhall says.
“We continue to develop and optimise the flowsheet, in particular the nickel circuit, and we look forward to sharing further testwork results in the first quarter of 2025.”
The company reports precious metal recoveries of 55% gold, 50% silver, and 38% palladium were demonstrated in the copper concentrate under unoptimised conditions.
Further precious metals and cobalt recoveries are expected in the nickel circuit.
Pivotal notes that nickel has been found to be present in both nickel-rich pentlandite, and nickel-poorer pyrrhotite. The economic nickel recovery potential is driven by how the nickel is distributed between these two minerals, and how well the two minerals can be separated by flotation.
The Horden Lake Project is a copper-nickel-gold-silver-platinum group metals-cobalt asset, which is located 131km2 north-northwest of Matagami in Québec, Canada.
Pivotal Metals is a junior explorer and developer focused on critical mineral projects in Canada.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Pivotal Metals
