Thor Mining Plc (AIM, ASX: THR, OTCQB: THORF) has commenced pump testing and a tracer test, followed by in-situ lixiviant trials at the Kapunda Copper ISR Project in South Australia.
EnviroCopper Ltd, in which Thor holds a 30% equity interest, has completed the installation of test well arrays and has commenced in-situ recovery trials (ISR), including tracer and push pull test work. These tests are the final hydrometallurgical assessments before ECL commences Site Environmental Lixiviant Trials (SELT).
The purpose of lixiviant trials, or ‘push pull tests’, is to assess the solubility of copper mineralisation, and therefore copper recovery, using a specially designed solution called a lixiviant under in-situ conditions.
The trial is to be undertaken in two stages. The first stage involves injecting and extracting a tracer solution (Sodium Bromide – NaBr) from the same well to demonstrate hydraulic connectivity between the observation and environmental monitor well network. This is followed by injecting and extracting lixiviant from the same well to test copper solubility from the mineralisation.
Managing Director, Nicole Galloway Warland, said the trials are anticipated to take three to four weeks.
“These in-situ lixiviant trials are a critical step in the assessment of the ISR process in determining the copper solubility, hence recovery from the Kapunda copper mineralisation.
This is a significant milestone for the Kapunda ISR Project, which Thor is delighted to be a part of.
I would also like to congratulate and acknowledge the efforts of the ECL team on winning this year’s award for Innovation and Collaboration in the Resources Sector by the Department of Energy and Mining, South Australia for the Kapunda Copper ISR Project.”
For further information please visit: https://www.thormining.com/
