West Cobar Metals (ASX:WC1) has achieved outstanding first pass float testwork results at its 100% owned Bulla Park copper antimony project in NSW.
“Our first float test, prior to any optimisation, has delivered a high-grade copper, antimony and silver concentrate with excellent recoveries," Managing Director, Matt Szwedzicki, said.
"These exceptional results well exceeded expectations for this initial test phase. It appears that Bulla Park’s high tetrahedrite content, without other significant sulphides, causes the material to respond well to flotation.
"The macroeconomic drivers for copper, antimony and silver continue to be strong, and the float work demonstrates high recoveries of each of these key metals.
"A fundamental first milestone has been met and we are now considering several options to separate the antimony minerals from the copper minerals and thereby generate an optimal mix of high value saleable product streams.”
The Bulla Park concentrate 1 contained:
- Copper: 19.4% Cu
- Antimony: 7.5% Sb
- Silver: 271g/t Ag
West Cobar Metals also reported:
- The low sulphide gangue mineralogy enabled a float concentrate with low iron content and considerable upgrading of copper (x50), antimony (x54) and silver (x49)
- Copper, antimony and silver recoveries range from 73% to 77% (Concentrate 1) and 88% to 94% (Cumulative Concentrate 1 + Concentrate 2)
- Future float testwork optimisation has significant potential to improve concentrate grades and recoveries
- Further testwork is planned to separate an antimony concentrate from the float concentrate and leave a higher-grade and clean copper concentrate.
