FPX Nickel Corp. (TSXV: FPX | OTCQB: FPOCF) has announced completion of its preliminary feasibility study (PFS) metallurgical testwork with results supporting the updated concentrator flowsheet and providing an improved understanding of the process of the Baptiste Nickel Project.
The testwork campaign involved multiple bench- and pilot-scale programmes, resulting in increased Davis tube recoverable (DTR) nickel recovery by 4% in comparison to the 2020 preliminary economic assessment (PEA).
The Baptiste deposit is part of FPX’s wholly-owned Decar Nickel-Iron Alloy Project. The 2020 PEA included 2.0Mt indicated grading at 0.122% DTR nickel, containing 2.4Mt of metal and 592,890t inferred at 0.144% DTR nickel, containing 675,885t of metal.
The company points to its results as further validation of DTR testing as a geometallurigical screening tool.
Highlights of the completed testwork programme included the updated concentrator flowsheet increasing DTR nickel recovery from 84.7% to 88.7%. and fully incorporated results into the 2023 PFS.
“Our completed metallurgical testwork campaign has further optimized the process flowsheet and improved the recovery basis for the Baptiste PFS, which remains on schedule for delivery in September 2023,” commented Andrew Osterloh, FPX Nickel’s Senior VP of projects & operations.
“The scale and depth of our testwork is more analogous with feasibility study-level testwork and reflects FPX’s commitment to the development of this new, yet simple and robust, metallurgical process. These results further validate awaruite’s processing advantages to produce a unique, high-grade product with unparalleled flexibility to feed into the stainless steel or battery material supply chains.”
The optimized flowsheet includes primary grinding and three stages of magnetic separation followed by regrinding and a fourth stage of magnetic separation. This will be followed by flotation to recover an awaruite concentrate. The float tails will be leached to recover dissolved nickel in nickel sulphate and a cobalt precipitate.
For further information, please visit: www.fpxnickel.com
