Sky Metals Ltd (ASX:SKY) has reported excellent results from its recent full-scale ore sorting testwork done on four bulk samples from its flagship 100%-owned Tallebung Tin Project located in central NSW, Australia. The bulk sampling programme totalled over 75t and showcased Sky Metals’ strategy to advance Tallebung through mining studies which replicate real-world mining and processing conditions.
The bulk samples were processed using a full-scale TOMRA XRT Ore Sorter in a two-stage circuit and results include the following:
- State 1 Sorting – Tin upgraded from 0.17% Sn to 2.32% Sn (a 13x increase) with +94.8% Sn recovery in total
- Stage 2 Sorting: Further upgrade to 10.8% Sn (a further 4.6x increase on Stage 1) with a +70% Sn recovery
A mass reduction of over 93% was achieved and so Stage 1 is expected to bring a significant reduction in potential CAPEX and OPEX for future mining at Tallebung. Silver and tungsten were also upgraded with the high recoveries achieved.
The results of this ore sorting testwork validate the scalability of the prior metallurgical testwork done as well as confirm the effectiveness of the ore sorting testing. Bulk samples will now undergo dense medium separation (DMS) at ALS Perth, which will be followed by pilot-sclae gravity processing at ALS Burnie to produce a scalable tin concentrate for offtake purposes.
Oliver Davies, Managing Director & CEO of Sky Metals commented, “These outstanding results are a major milestone for SKY. Achieving strong grade upgrades and high recoveries in a large bulk sample confirms and improves on the past testwork, while further demonstrating the scalability and reliability of our ore sorting strategy. Tallebung’s geology—characterised by ubiquitously large, discrete cassiterite grains in shallow veins—is ideally suited to ore sorting technology, enabling exceptional performance even in challenging zones, as were excavated for the bulk sample.
“The bulk sampling program reinforces the opportunity to substantially reduce future OPEX and CAPEX with over 93% of the mass removed in this testwork while maintaining exceptional tin recoveries. With pilot-scale gravity processing to follow and further drilling results imminent, SKY is well-positioned to continue accelerating the Tallebung Project towards development.”
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