Podium Minerals Unveils Breakthrough Concentrator for Parks Reef PGM Project

Podium Minerals (ASX: POD) has unveiled a new concentrator flowsheet that it believes will transform the development outlook for its Parks Reef platinum group metal project in Western Australia.

Laboratory-scale trials demonstrated the flowsheet can recover around 80% of platinum, palladium, and gold, along with 52% copper, while delivering a 50-fold upgrade of bulk sulphide feed into high-grade concentrates.

Executive chair Rod Baxter described the result as a step-change for the company, one that positions Parks Reef as a strategic source of platinum group metals outside traditional supply jurisdictions.

High Recoveries and Market-Ready Products

Podium designed the concentrator to maximise recovery and product quality by combining a flotation circuit with a value recovery circuit.

Together, they produce two discrete concentrates: a flotation product grading 57 grams per tonne three-element platinum group metals, and a high-grade product grading above 3,100g/t.

Mr Baxter said the ultra-low chrome content of the concentrates, around 0.12%, enhances their compatibility with established refiners, offering flexibility for direct sales, toll treatment, or blending with existing product streams.

He added that, by using proven metallurgical processes tailored to Parks Reef mineralogy, the flowsheet balances robust performance with reduced technical risk.

“The unveiling of our ground-breaking concentrator is more than a technical achievement; it represents a bold leap forward in our mission to unlock the substantial underlying value of Parks Reef for our shareholders and stakeholders,” Baxter said.

Australia’s Largest PGM Resource

Parks Reef hosts Australia’s largest platinum group metal (PGM) resource, with 7.9 million ounces of contained platinum, palladium, rhodium, iridium, and gold across the main reef and a copper-gold zone.

The new concentrator provides a platform for optimising recoveries from the different mineralised zones, including high-grade hanging wall and footwall layers identified in drilling.

Podium plans to expand test work into larger-scale trials to confirm engineering parameters, refine product specifications and strengthen economic modelling.

Mr Baxter said the breakthrough comes as global platinum and palladium markets remain in deficit, a trend analysts expect to persist through the decade, and that new supply sources such as Parks Reef are vital for diversifying feedstock away from traditional regions.

Podium believes its concentrator, by producing market-ready concentrates from a de-risked flowsheet, improves the project’s appeal to potential partners.