Base metals developer Galena Mining has achieved outstanding metallurgical test work results from its Abra lead-silver deposit, confirming Abra’s ability to produce high-grade concentrates averaging 74.5% lead with recoveries exceeding 94% of the metal.
The test work forms a significant component of the PFS that is currently underway at Abra, with the company indicating the new results had exceeded its expectations.
According to the company, the clean concentrates produced were of extremely high quality, high in lead and silver, with no deleterious impurity or toxic penalties detected.
The test work results are a significant development for the project and the company says there is likely to be high demand for the quality of product to be produced from Abra.
With a high-grade resource of 36.6 million tonnes grading 7.3% lead and 18g/t silver recently estimated by Galena, the outstanding metallurgical results significantly de-risk the economics of the project.
The company will now concentrate on finalising the mine planning and optimisation studies, leading to updated estimates of capital and operating costs for the mine.
Additionally, Galena is currently undertaking some infill drilling on-site to drag some of the inferred mineral resources up to the indicated category.
This will potentially boost the ore reserves at Abra for Galena, leading to a more robust development case, ahead of planned PFS completion in September this year.
Galena COO and PFS Manager, Troy Flannery said: “This is the most comprehensive level of process metallurgy completed on Abra to date. The results not only confirm but exceed positive results from previous work.”
“The exceptionally high-grade and clean lead-silver concentrate achieved at very high recovery grades gives Galena great flexibility in optimising throughput and capital cost components of the PFS which is currently underway.”
“These results have de-risked the metallurgy component of the current economic study at Abra. The finalisation of metallurgy work now paves the way for GR Engineering to complete their work which is already highly advanced on plant and site layout.”
Environmental baseline studies have also been completed and show no impediments to the development of the mining operation and the company says sufficient clean potable water, required for the wet ore processing is also readily available.
Galena has a clear pathway to production now at Abra, with a BFS, offtake discussions, project financing and potentially initial underground development all being undertaken during 2019.
Construction of the mine and commissioning and extension of the underground development to access the ore body for first production is targeted for 2020.
