Speewah delivers promising results

Tivan has completed the current phase of flotation optimisation testwork for the Speewah fluorite project WA, with improvements in both fluorite grade and recoveries.

Grades of up to 98.8% calcium fluorite were achieved from fourteen cleaner flotation trials.

Testwork also demonstrated potential to improve fluorite recoveries from 90% to up to 95% at the 97% calcium fluorite acidspar product specification.

The results demonstrate that the 97% calcium fluorite acidspar product specification can be achieved and support engineering design of the process plant and further testwork being undertaken as part of the feasibility study being progressed.

Tivan executive chairman Grant Wilson says the company is very pleased to have achieved this important technical milestone.

“The testwork results represent major de-risking of the Speewah fluorite project and open multiple pathways for design optimisation and revenue enhancement going forward,” he said.

“In fast-tracking the pre-feasibility study last year, we made strong assumptions as to historical testwork and expected fluorite recovery.

“Our team have worked systematically since, utilising modern flotation reagents. They have achieved a substantial improvement on all historical results and have demonstrated that the 97% calcium fluorite acidspar threshold can be achieved without a material dimunition in fluorite recovery.

“Given the low levels of intrinsic impurities at Speewah, most notably arsenic, Tivan is now in a great position to optimise the project further into feasibility study.

“The results also enable us to further support the marketing and distribution campaign of our proposed JV partner, Sumitomo Corporation, in the period ahead.

“Reflecting Tivan’s broader strategy, the learnings from this program will be applied at the Sandover fluorite project later this year.”