Guardian Metal Resources plc said that industrial garnet processing results had far exceeded expectations on a bulk sample from its Pilot Mountain tungsten project in Nevada, USA.
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The metallurgical processing characterisation study was on a composite 300kg bulk sample of industrial garnet.
The sample consisted of approximately 118m of half-core samples from six historical drillholes.
Guardian added that initial results based on 100kg split of the sample returned combined size fractions comprising 58.3% garnet and 0.37% scheelite, or calcium tungstate mineral, by mass.
The results offer “strong potential” for a “significant garnet resource” based on the company’s current mineral resource estimate of 12.53 million tons and the assumption of homogeneous garnet distribution across Pilot Mountain.
“Successful garnet liberation was shown to be 58.5% by mass at the relatively coarse 425 µm grind size,” said Guardian.
This could see reductions in comminution (grinding) costs, power requirements and reagents in flotation and a smaller tailings dam.
Gravity and magnetic separation tests will continue on the remaining bulk sample.
Chief executive Oliver Friesen added: “We have been eagerly awaiting the results from the garnet processing characterisation studies and are extremely pleased with the data presented thus far from our metallurgical partners.
“While tungsten is without a doubt the main commodity of interest at Pilot Mountain, in a production scenario all potential revenue generating, as well as cost saving, opportunities need to be closely evaluated.
“Based on the above data it appears that the garnet opportunity could be material to the project going forward.”