Pioneer Minerals (ASX:PMM) has engaged Mineral Technologies to perform a processing concept study and plant design work for the Springfield Project in Idaho, US.
The engineering services agreement tasks Mineral Technologies to define a practical and scalable pathway to produce saleable tungsten concentrate at the Springfield Project, which is part of the North Pine Project.
The contractor will develop conceptual process flowsheets, mass and water balance modelling, plant layout and modular design concepts, equipment selection and sizing, and the delivery of an order-of-magnitude capital expenditure estimate with an accuracy range of more than or less than 50%.
The study will also evaluate historic tailings, which have already demonstrated strong upgrade potential, and fresh ore – which represents longer-term development upside.
Key development principles guiding the study will include fast-track development timelines, minimising upfront capital intensity, implementing scalable plant design from pilot through to commercial expansion, and maintaining flexibility to expand the flowsheet to recover additional metals such as gold and gallium.
“The study will evaluate simple, modular processing solutions that can be deployed quickly and expanded over time,” Pioneer Minerals CEO Michael Beven says.
“This work is aimed at translating those fundamentals into a clear and executable development pathway.”
Pioneer Minerals is a uranium, tungsten, and lithium exploration company with assets mainly in Australia, Colorado (US), Namibia, and Canada.
Write to Richard Szabo at Mining.com.au
Images: Pioneer Minerals
