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- Pilbara Minerals (PLS) says it has successfully produced its first spodumene concentrate from the coarse production circuit at the Ngungaju Plant
- The company labelled the result another key milestone for PLS as it continues to develop its Pilgangoora Project in Western Australia
- Specifically, the restart of the coarse circuit at the Ngungaju Plant is expected to accelerate spodumene concentrate production
- The materials stock is progressing the staged restart and ramp-up of production at Ngungaju with the fine production circuit to begin by early 2022
- Shares in PLS are up 0.26 per cent at $1.97 per share at 2:24 pm AEDT
Pilbara Minerals (PLS) has successfully produced its first spodumene concentrate from the coarse production circuit at the Ngungaju Plant.
The plant forms part of the company’s wider Pilgangoora Project in Western Australia and PLS has labelled the latest production result a “key milestone” for the business.
Specifically, the restart of the coarse circuit at the Ngungaju Plant is expected to accelerate spodumene concentrate production.
The materials stock is working on a staged restart and ramp-up of production at the entire Ngungaju processing facilities.
PLS is currently using existing weathered ore already stockpiled at Pilgangoora, which was not amenable to flotation, in the coarse circuit.
It will continue using this low-cost ore until its fine circuit is up and running, which is expected to occur in March 2022.
Once the fine circuit is in use, fresh ore from the South Pit will be introduced to the plant before optimised lithia recoveries are expected to be achieved by mid next year.
All up, the Ngungaju Plant is expected to produce between 180,000 dry metric tonnes (DMT) spodumene concentrate and 200,000 dmt.
The company’s wider Pilgangoora Project is targeting production of between 460,000 dmt to 510,000 dmt in FY22.
Following today’s update, shares in Pilbara Minerals were trading up 0.26 per cent at $1.97 per share at 2:24 pm AEDT.
