Indiana Resources Ltd (ASX:IDA) has completed an initial round of hydrometallurgical test work on its Minos REE (rare earth elements) prospect in South Australia, yielding recoveries of 90.5% in TREE (total rare earth elements).
The program of hydrometallurgical work involved wet screening, bulk sighter flotation, thermal roast/water leach and acid sighter leaching.
The latter segment (acid sighter leaching) also picked up recoveries of 87.8% HREE (heavy rare earth elements) and 90.8% LREE (light rare earth elements).
Additionally, bulk flotation work showed a high recovery to flotation concentrate of minus 0.15mm fraction, with Indiana now focusing on a program of hydrometallurgical (or acid leaching) test work, as well as beneficiation optimisation test work in the near future.
Also a priority for the company in future work will be determining if more efficient clay separation is achievable from the ore – with this to be assessed through potential attritioning of the coarser fraction.
Minos – which measures 6 kilometres by 4.5 kilometres – is only one part of Indiana’s Central Gawler Craton exploration project (CGCP) in South Australia, which itself covers 5,713 square kilometres.
Previous drilling from the prospect have indicated its potential for high-grade REEs: with intercepts such as 26 metres at 4,767ppm (parts per million) TREO and 1,894ppm MREO from 46 metres, including 1 metre at 46,721ppm TREO and 22,255ppm MREO from 48 metres.
Executive Chair Bronwyn Barnes said this program of work had proven promising for Indiana’s expectations for Minos.
“These latest results from Minos clearly demonstrate the strong REE potential of this project area in South Australia. Initial ‘sighter’ test work has focused on beneficiation of the clay hosted REE at Minos and provided outstanding results,” she said.
“High recoveries of both TREO and MREO to a 4% TREO flotation concentrate is particularly encouraging.
“We look forward to the next phase of hydrometallurgical test work which will focus on acid leaching of the concentrate.
“These results give the company the confidence to continue drilling to better define the size potential of our 6km x 4.5 km REE target which remains open in all directions.”
Perhaps due to uncertainty around such early-stage work – or the call for future assessment of more efficient clay separation – investors seemed unenthused by the news. At 12:43 AEST, shares in Indiana were trading at 9.2 cents – a fall of 2.13% since the market opened.