- Vimy Resources (VMY) receives positive results from metallurgical testwork at its Mulga Rock Project in Western Australia
- The company tested the chemical, mechanical and physical properties of the Lewatit TP107 resin and its suitability for the Mulga Rock process flowsheet
- The testwork shows improved uranium recoveries, resulting in reduced operating costs and lower capital cost due to higher uranium loadings
- Vimy will now evaluate the resin’s performance under pre-determined optimum operating conditions and opportunities for process optimisation and flowsheet simplification
- Vimy’s shares are trading steady at 16 cents
Vimy Resources (VMY) has received positive results from metallurgical test work at its Mulga Rock Project in Western Australia.
A 2018 and 2020 definitive feasibility study (DFS) confirmed “robust” financials and a simple, low-cost uranium mining and recovery process at the WA-based project which could position Vimy as Australia’s largest, near-term uranium producer.
Following last year’s DFS, Vimy has conducted optimisation studies including
evaluating and improving mining and metallurgical processes at Mulga Rock.
Vimy identified a strong-base anionic resin, called Lewatit TP107, as being able to effectively recover uranium from saline sulphuric acid leach liquors.
The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) has since developed and patented a novel two-stage elution for the Lewatit TP107 resin. Earlier this year, Vimy engaged ANSTO to test the chemical, mechanical and physical properties of the resin and investigate its suitability for the Mulga Rock process flowsheet.
The main outcomes of the test work show the Lewatit TP107 resin is equally
as suitable to the Resin-In-Pulp (RIP) process as the resin tested in the 2018 DFS.
Uranium loading tests showed a step-change in loading efficiency with an increase of about three times in uranium loading and ANSTO’s two-stage patented process was able to successfully strip the loaded resin with very low residual loading on the resin and a high uranium concentration.
Interim CEO, Steven Michael, was pleased with the test work results.
“Our uranium extraction technique is based around ion exchange resin technology and so getting the right resin for the job is extremely important. This test work suggests that this new resin could shave in the order of A$1/lb U3O8 off already low operating costs,” he said.
“This testwork opens the door to further capital and operating savings, without changes to the Mulga Rock process flowsheet.”
The company will now proceed to the next phase of testing which will evaluate performance under the optimum operating conditions determined in the 2018 DFS and opportunities for process optimisation and flowsheet simplification.
Vimy’s shares were trading steady at 16 cents at 12:49 pm AEST.