In May 2018 Kasbah Resources Limited (“Kasbah”) completed an ore sorting test work program which was a precursor to releasing in July 2018 an updated Definitive Feasibility Study (“DFS”) for the Achmmach Tin Project in Morocco, which it is proposing to develop along with its joint venture partners.
The testwork program evaluated ore sorting as a pre-concentration option to achieve early elimination of gangue and the low-grade component of ROM feed, thereby potentially:
- Significantly upgrading the head grade of tin to the downstream processing plant.
- Significantly reducing the required throughput capacity (and projected capital expenditure) of the downstream processing plant.
- Reducing total consumables, power and water requirements in downstream processing.
- Increasing the recovery of tin in the gravity and flotation circuit due to the higher feed grade achievable with ore sorting.
- Reducing tailings tonnage, tailings cost and environmental footprint.
- Using sorter rejects for mine backfill or road base applications.
Key aspects of the design of the metallurgical testwork program centred around the need to ensure that samples representative of ROM ore feed (including projected mining dilution) were selected for the ore sorting testwork.
The design and implementation of the ore sorting bulk testwork program is described, as well as a summary of the test work results and a discussion of the enhancement of the project economics reported by Kasbah, which led the company to adopt ore sorting as part of the proposed processing circuit in the updated 2018 DFS.