BBX Minerals reveals positive bioleach pilot plant results
BBX Minerals has announced “excellent” recovery results from the first of many pilot plant tests.
Brazil-focused explorer BBX Minerals (ASX: BBX) has revealed “excellent” results from initial bioleach pilot plant testing on a composite sample taken from the Três Estados gold and platinum group metals (PGM) project.
Following positive results from bioleaching test work conducted late last year, the company moved to larger scale testing with a dedicated pilot plant designed and commissioned by EcoBiome Metals at its Texas facility.
The pilot simulates a potential production circuit for the mineralisation at Três Estados. A 45kg sample was taken from a homogenised 50.4kg drill hole composite comprised of hematite altered mafic intrusive, with bioleaching tests recovering a grade of 3 grams per tonne of 5E precious metals (gold, platinum, palladium, iridium and rhodium).
BBX noted that the pilot plant metal recoveries had significantly more gold, palladium and rhodium in the final product than the previously reported assays for the same drill hole interval.
The company said these positive results mark the “first of several” pilot plant tests designed to demonstrate the suitability of the bioleaching process, noting there is “significant room for improvement”.
Planning is underway for testing of other drill core samples from BBX’s recently announced mineral resource estimate at Três Estados. Plans are also ongoing for the construction of a pilot plant in Brazil.
“We are very pleased with the results from the first pilot plant test, extracting the equivalent of 3 grams per tonne of 5E precious metals, with the presence of palladium and rhodium contributing significantly to the value per ounce, despite the plant never really stabilising,” BBX chief executive officer Andre J Douchane said.
He said this bioleaching process and improving the Três Estados mineral resource estimate is crucial to being able to conduct feasibility studies on the project.
“We are pleased with the results achieved so far. However, there is more work to be done, and we believe we can significantly optimise the pilot plant and process, and we look forward to completing these enhancements prior to the next round of pilot plant tests,” BBX technical manager Edmar Medeiros added.
Bioleaching process
Bioleaching is described by BBX as a simple and effective technology for metal extraction from low-grade ores and mineral concentrates.
In collaboration with EcoBiome, BBX aims to use this unique bioleach process to economically extract gold and PGMs from the Três Estados mineral deposit in Brazil.
Mr Douchane said the company is particularly focused on the recovery of PGMs which it believes are “necessary if society wishes to move toward a carbon-neutral hydrogen fuel economy”.