- Western Mines Group’s (WMG) share price soars on news its initial aqua regia testwork results have been positive
- The testing took place at WMG’s Mulga Tank nickel-copper-platinum group element project in the Yilgarn region of Western Australia
- The company compared two different models of testing, with results suggesting a high percentage of nickel in sulphide form versus silicate nickel, with intervals from all holes showing better than 97 per cent similarity in results
- WMG says the “very positive” results offer encouragement to conduct further metallurgical beneficiation testwork to demonstrate the recovery of nickel sulphide into a high-grade saleable concentrate
- Western Mines Group’s share price climbs 46 per cent, trading at 46 cents at 12:22 pm AEST
Western Mines Group’s (WMG) share price has soared on news its initial aqua regia testwork results have been positive.
The testing took place at WMG’s Mulga Tank nickel-copper-platinum group element project in the Yilgarn region of Western Australia.
The company compared two different models of testing. The first was a four-acid test that breaks down most minerals, while the second – aqua regia – only dissolved certain minerals.
The results of the comparison suggested a high percentage of nickel in sulphide form compared to silicate nickel, with intervals from all holes showing better than 97 per cent similarity in results.
The company said the “very positive” results offer encouragement to conduct further metallurgical beneficiation testwork to demonstrate the recovery of nickel sulphide into a high-grade saleable concentrate.
Broad intervals of shallow mineralisation within the top 200 vertical metres were deliberately selected for the initial testwork. This now forms the first step in demonstrating a viable large open pit scenario for the Mulga Tank project.
WMG Managing Director Dr Caedmon Marriott said this basic comparison testwork demonstrated the nickel mineralisation is hosted in potentially recoverable sulphide form.
“We’re conscious of exploring by economics and deliberately selected shallow intervals found in the top few hundred vertical metres that could be amenable to large-scale open pit scenario,” he said.
As a follow up to the comparison work, the WMG team is now planning metallurgical beneficiation testwork using bulk samples from the remaining drill core.
“This will aim to demonstrate a payable high-grade nickel concentrate could be recovered from the mineralised intervals,” Dr Caedmon Marriott added.
“This would unlock the project and build confidence in a resource drill out.”
Western Mines Group’s share price climbed 46 per cent, trading at 46 cents at 12:22 pm AEST.