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- AVZ Minerals (AVZ) has produced up to 93 per cent cassiterite from its Manono Lithium and Tin Project in the Democratic Republic of Congo
- Cassiterite is a tin oxide mineral and is the main ore of tin
- A separate high-grade tantalum product between 62 and 67 per cent tantalum pentoxide was also recovered
- According to the Managing Director, the company will now focus on a more detailed program to determine the potential benefit of the metals produced
- AVZ is down a slight 5.08 per cent in early-morning trade and shares are selling for 5.6 cents each
AVZ Minerals (AVZ) has produced up to 93 per cent cassiterite from its Manono Lithium and Tin Project.
The Manono Project is located 500 kilometres north of Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo, spanning 188 square kilometres.
It lies within the mid-Proterozoic Kibaran Belt, which stretches for over 1000 kilometres through Katanga and into southwest Uganda.
AVZ’s recently completed metallurgical test work program at the Manono Project returned a high-grade, low impurity cassiterite concentrate with grades between 71.7 and 73.2 per cent tin.
This equates to between 91 and 93 per cent cassiterite.
Cassiterite is a tin oxide mineral and is the main ore of tin. Due to the sometimes transparent nature of the mineral, it is occasionally used as a minor gemstone.
A separate high-grade tantalum product, between 62 and 67 per cent tantalum pentoxide, was also recovered.
Niobium pentoxide grading between 17 and 21 per cent was also discovered.
AVZ used this metallurgical testwork program to assess the process flowsheet in the treatment of tin and tantalum minerals from Manono.
The company completed the program on two composite samples and both produced similar results.
These results show that high-grade cassiterite and high-grade tantalum pentoxide can be produced.
“We have previously announced some encouraging results from our alluvial test work program but this latest set of results are simply outstanding with regards to recovery of not only tin but tantalum and niobium,” Managing Director Nigel Ferguson commented.
“Given the excellent results reported from our first two composite samples, the company will now embark on more detailed test work programs to define the potential benefit of metals within the alluvial fields at Manono and what they can add to the project revenue stream,” he said.
“The company will now look to maximise these potential revenue streams including any potential revenue credits from recovered tantalum and niobium,” Nigel added.
Following the results, the company is planning a much larger investigation as it looks to retrieve minerals from the alluvial fields. AVZ also intends to look at treating the concentrates to turn them into ingots, and investigate how this could be accomplished by building a furnace at the Manono Project.
AVZ is down a slight 5.08 per cent in early-morning trade and shares are selling for 5.6 cents each at 10:31 am AEST.
