Highly Favourable Metallurgical Test Results From Kipoi Copper Project
Highlights
- Leach kinetics are fast with high recovery of acid soluble copper
greater than 96%, with majority of leaching completed in four hours.
- Gangue acid consumption (GAC) is very low (even for DRC ores) at
less than 10kg/t, and is generally in the range of 4.5 to 6.4 kg/t.
- Results suggest that ore would be amenable to agitation and/or heap
leaching or combination of the two.
- Results validate earlier leach test work results.
- No indication of adverse leach kinetics with coarser grind sizes.
- The results have important positive economic implications for planned
Stage Two development; including potentially high levels of copper
recovery and low operating and capital costs.
- The results support staged development approach at Kipoi. Stage 2 of
the planned development is targeting completion of construction of a
25,000tpa (scaleable) SXEW plant to produce cathode copper by late
2013.
Tiger has engaged Miller Metallurgical Services ("MMS"), to undertake a comprehensive investigation of viable process options, including heap leaching and agitated leaching, for the Stage Two development of the Kipoi Project. Stage Two of the development is proposed to be the construction of a leach SXEW plant to produce cathode copper. The intention is to complete construction of a 25,000tpa (scaleable) SXEW plant by late 2013. The expanding resource base at Kipoi has the potential to support a 100,000tpa SXEW production capacity.
MMS recently completed a report reviewing leach test work conducted by Amdel under MMS supervision. The report also includes an analysis of results of previous metallurgical test work undertaken by Amdel in 2008 and by Ammtec in 2007.
Samples used in the Amdel 2009 test programme were diamond cores representative of the principle ore types making up the bulk of the oxidised mineralisation at Kipoi. Aspects covered in the Amdel test work programme include:
- Acid leaching without any reductant to establish the percentage and
timing of likely copper dissolution without specifically targeting
the cobalt content.
- Testing to establish the grinding time of the ore to target size
before leaching.
- Determination of gangue acid consumption.
- Correlation of leach and GAC results with copper and gangue
mineralogy (report pending)
A summary of the results of the Amdel testwork (Table 1), and a "typical leach" curve (Table 2) have been included in the Sedar filing.
MMS has drawn the following conclusions from the results:
- The leach kinetics is very fast with the majority of leaching
completed within four hours.
- No indication of adverse leach kenetics with coarser grid sizes
- The leaching of the AS Cu is almost to completion in four hours.
- The majority of GAC occurs in the first 30 minutes of leaching
- GAC is very low generally in the range of 4.5 to 6.5kg/t with only
one higher value of 9.0kg/t.
- Residual acid neutralisation capacity (ANZ) of the leached tails is
also very low between 3.4 and 7.6kg/t.
- The leaching process may be agitation, heap or a combination of the
two processes.
The findings in the latest Amdel test work are consistent with conclusions made in the earlier reports. Results of all three studies are very encouraging for whole ore leaching showing that all mineralised lithology types at Kipoi Central have a high percentage greater than 96% of readily leachable copper with low to moderate GAC.
The Company regards the outcomes of the test work to be extremely positive and considers the predicated low acid consumption characteristics of the oxidised ore to have potentially very significant economic implications for the Stage Two development of the Kipoi Central Project.
Potential costs saving benefits deriving from the favourable metallurgy are:
Operating costs are likely to be low (per unit of copper production) due to a combination of factors:
- Relatively high grade
- Low gangue acid consumption
- Access to low cost hydroelectric grid power
- Low acid transport costs to site
- Low cost leaching of Stage One HMS reject and slimes that will be
stored on site
Capital costs will also be low from:
- Small grinding mill
- Small leach tanks to service short leach time
Stage Two feasibility work is ongoing and is expected to be completed in late 2010. Further testing is planned to address the heap leaching characteristics of the ore and testing is planned for a number of leaching scenarios to provide data for selection of an economic process.
Company website: www.tigerresources.com.au
Notes:
Analysis results in this release were prepared by the independent laboratory, Amdel Limited, Western
Caution Regarding Forward Looking Statements and Forward Looking Information: This release contains forward-looking statements and forward looking information, which are based on assumptions and judgments of management regarding future events and results. Such forward-looking statements and forward looking information, including but not limited to those with respect to the development of a Stage 2 SXEW operation, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the actual market prices of copper, cobalt and silver, the actual results of current exploration, the availability of financing for a Stage 2 SXEW operation, the volatility currently being experienced in global financial markets, the actual results of future mining, processing and development activities, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated, as well as those factors disclosed in the Company's Annual Information Form, under the heading "Risk Factors". The Company's Annual Information Form is available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
For further information: in respect of the Company's activities, please contact: David Young, Managing Director, Tel: (+61 8) 9240 1933, Email: [email protected]; Reg Gillard, Chairman, Tel: (+61 8) 9240 1933, Email: [email protected]; Patrick Flint, Director, Tel: (+61 8) 9240 1933, Email: [email protected]
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