Pan Asia Metals achieves ‘excellent’ lithium recoveries during test work on Reung Kiet ore

Pan Asia Metals (ASX: PAM) has achieved “excellent recoveries” during metallurgical test work on Reung Kiet lepidolite ore.

The company has completed sulphate roasting and lithium extraction test work on two 1kg lepidolite concentrate samples from the Reung Kiet lithium deposit within the namesake project.

Pan Asia managing director Paul Lock said he is “very pleased” with the results, which achieved up to 88% lithium recoveries in the first road of roasting and leaching.

Recoveries greater than 80% were also achieved with lower reagent use.

He said with addition test work the company is confident of even better results.

“We are aiming for recoveries in the mid to high 80s and plan to achieve this through further work on roast reagent ratios, roast time and temperature, and the effect of agglomerating the roast feed, as well as using a concentrate derived from sorted ore.”

Reung Kiet lithium project

Reung Kiet is located about 70km northeast of Phuket in Thailand’s south.

The project covers 40 square kilometres and hosts the Reung Kiet deposit which has a resource of 10.4 million tonnes at 0.44% lithium.

In parallel with ongoing metallurgical test work, drilling is continuing at the deposit to build resources, with an update planned later in the year.

Also contained within the project is the Bang I Tum prospect, which has an exploration target of 8-14Mt at 0.5-0.8% lithium.

South East Asian market

Pan Asia is the only battery metals explorer that has lithium projects under development in South East Asia.

By developing Reung Kiet and its other critical mineral projects, Pan Asia aims to take advantage of demand within the regional market.

Asia accounts for more than half of the world’s annual vehicle production, and Thailand is the largest producer in South East Asia.

Thailand is also the fourth largest vehicle producer in East Asia.

Demand for battery minerals in the region is rapidly growing as the world transitions to electric vehicles.

“As the only lithium explorer-developer in South East Asia with lithium projects under development in the region, no company on earth is better placed to capitalise on the Asian growth opportunity and its future prosperity,” Mr Lock said.