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Parkway Minerals (ASX:PWN) focuses on commercialising brine technologies

Materials
ASX:PWN      MCAP $25.13M
26 August 2020 13:15 (AEST)

Source: Parkway Minerals

Parkway Minerals (PWN) has provided an update on its focus to commercialise its portfolio and provide sustainable solutions for processing complex brines.

The company is working alongside strategic partners and potential clients to deliver its technology, BPaaS – Brine Processing as a Solution.

“The scale of the opportunities we are seeking to address, including those outlined in this announcement, highlights the opportunity for Parkway Minerals to build a significant business, through the successful commercialisation of our technology portfolio,” Managing Director Bahay Ozcakmak said.

iBC

In May, the company acquired the iBC technology which allows it to pre-treat complex brines, particularly from the coal-seam gas (CSG) industry.

While tests conducted prior to the acquisition confirmed iBC could pre-treat CSG brines, the test work was primarily performed at fairly high temperatures.

Pleasingly, recent test work has confirmed the technology is also capable of achieving high rates of causticisation efficiency at both low temperatures and low brine concentrations.

These encouraging results are set to develop brine processing flowsheets and support ongoing discussions with several parties in the CSG industry who face brine waste-related challenges.

“The progress we are making across our technology portfolio continues to provide us with encouragement that we are developing solutions that industry desperately requires,” Bahay stated.

aMES

aMES (Activated Mineral Extraction System) is an innovative process technology that can treat concentrated brine solutions to recover valuable minerals, reagents and freshwater.

Parkway Minerals recently commenced an aMES-based testing program on a waste stream from a base metal mine. The waste stream highly impacts the company which operates the mine. Therefore, this represents a significant opportunity to create value by reducing wastewater volumes and associated costs and recovering substantial mineral products.

The company has also reported the procurement process of its aMES pilot plant is almost completed. Last week, onsite preparations began with plant assembly expected to begin mid next month and commissioning approximately two to four weeks after.

Unfortunately due to potential COVID-19 impacts, Parkway may not complete the commissioning of the plant by the time the pre-feasibility study (PFS) for the Karinga Lakes Potash Project is expected to be finalised.

KLPP PFS

The Karinga Lakes Potash Project PFS is being delivered by Parkway Minerals and Worley (WOR).

The company claims the team is making significant progress and has found a number of opportunities to optimise the process.

Parkway expects that if all goes well, the PFS will be completed by mid-October.

The ASX-lister has already received interest from a potash company to potentially utilise the aMES process plant design that is being developed.

New Mexico Lithium Project

Parkway has chosen to relinquish its interest in the New Mexico Lithium Project (NMLP).

The company claims this decision stemmed from project access challenges, COVID-19 related operation difficulties in the U.S., the ongoing collapse in lithium prices and the relatively high holding costs that were payable by the end of this month.

“The decision to relinquish our interest in the NMLP was strategic, as this will ensure we continue to focus our limited resources on more strategic opportunities, such as the commercialisation of our BPaaS technology platform,” Bahay concluded.

Company shares have dropped 12.5 per cent and are trading for 0.7 cents at 10:34 am AEST.

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