TORONTO,
July 23, 2014 /CNW/ - Search Minerals
Inc. ("Search" or the "Company") (TSXV: SMY) and its
wholly-owned subsidiary, Alterra Resources Inc., are pleased to
announce the development of a simplified metallurgical process
tested on a bulk sample from the Company's Foxtrot Project
("Foxtrot" or the "Project"), located in the Port
Hope Simpson Rare Earth Element District in SE Labrador, to produce a high grade rare
earth elements ("REE") product for refining. A patent
application has been lodged with the United States Patent Office to
protect the Company's ownership of this technology. Support was
received from the Research & Development Corporation
("RDC") of Newfoundland and
Labrador and from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
("ACOA") for this development. Testing was completed by SGS
Canada Inc. ("SGS").
HIGHLIGHTS
- A simple metallurgical treatment of coarse-crushed Foxtrot
ore has been demonstrated to give high overall extractions of rare
earths (73.1 to 78.9% for La-Er). There is no longer any need
for grinding, flotation, gravity or magnetic separation to treat
the Foxtrot ore.
- A crushed sample of Foxtrot ore (6 mesh, 3.35 mm) was
treated by acid (200 °C) and water leaching to extract rare
earths. Extraction from the ore ranged from 73.8 to 80% for
La-Er and 55.9 to 69.9% for Tm-Lu.
- The leachate was purified by pH adjustment, and then
precipitated to give a mixed carbonate precipitate.
- The mixed carbonate was further refined by acid leaching,
oxalate re-precipitation and calcination to produce a high grade
rare earth oxide ("REO") containing low levels of key impurities
(including thorium) for refining to separate rare earth
products.
- A larger demonstration test of the Company's technology is
scheduled for Q3 2014 at SGS.
- Search is expected to enter into discussions with interested
parties for the refining of the high grade rare earth oxide product
starting in Q3 2014.
- A United States Provisional Patent has been filed to protect
the new rare earth recovery process.
Stephen Keith,
President and CEO of Search, commented on the findings, "We are
very pleased with these developments, as they are expected to
significantly lower the Foxtrot operating and capital costs.
This innovative technology should also allow the Company to move
the Foxtrot Project more quickly to development, resulting in
long-term value growth for the Company."
A metallurgical sample of the Foxtrot ore
(channel sample) was subjected to a simple process of crushing and
treatment with concentrated sulfuric acid. The acid treated ore was
water leached to extract REEs into the solution. The leached
solids were filtered and washed. The leachate containing REEs was
purified by a series of steps to produce a purified REO. The
key steps included purification by pH adjustment with magnesium
carbonate, precipitation of REEs with sodium carbonate, selective
re-extraction of the REEs with hydrochloric acid, re-precipitation
of REEs with oxalic acid and, finally, calcination of the rare
earth oxalate to produce a REO for refining.
The results of the acid treatment/water leach
are shown in Table 1. A sample of Foxtrot ore was crushed to 6 mesh
(approximately 3 mm in size) and treated with 100 kg of
H2So4 per tonne of ore at 200 °C for two
hours. The acid treated ore was then leached with water at 90
°C for 24 hours, followed by filtration and washing to recover a
filtrate. The extraction of impurity elements like iron (Fe)
and aluminum (Al) were controlled to 5.5 and 4.6% respectfully.
La |
Ce |
Pr |
Nd |
Sm |
Eu |
Gd |
Tb |
Dy |
Ho |
Y |
Er |
Tm |
Yb |
Lu |
76.7 |
78.1 |
79.6 |
80.0 |
79.6 |
79.1 |
78.4 |
79.3 |
77.5 |
76.0 |
77.0 |
73.8 |
69.9 |
64.9 |
55.9 |
Table 1. REE Extractions (%) from Foxtrot Ore
using Search's Simplified Process
The water leachate was treated with magnesium
carbonate to precipitate impurities as a solid residue. The
purified solution was then treated with sodium carbonate to
precipitate a mixed rare earth carbonate. The loss of REEs in
the purification process was low and the precipitation efficiency
was high. Table 2 summarizes the overall recoveries of REEs
using the simplified process.
La |
Ce |
Pr |
Nd |
Sm |
Eu |
Gd |
Tb |
Dy |
Ho |
Y |
Er |
Tm |
Yb |
Lu |
75.9 |
77.3 |
78.9 |
79.3 |
78.9 |
78.4 |
77.6 |
78.4 |
78.7 |
75.3 |
76.3 |
73.1 |
69.2 |
64.3 |
55.4 |
Table 2. Overall REE Recovery (%) from
Foxtrot Ore to Mixed Carbonate Precipitate using Search's
Simplified Process
The rare earth carbonate precipitate was
purified by selective releaching in hydrochloric acid,
precipitation with oxalic acid and calcination (to convert the
precipitate to a REO). The provisional analysis for the mixed
REO is shown in Table 3 (Chemical Analysis) and Table 4 (Impurity
Analysis).
REO |
Analysis
(%) |
La2O3 |
14.66 |
CeO2 |
34.89 |
Pr6O11 |
3.90 |
Nd2O3 |
15.28 |
Sm2O3 |
2.19 |
Eu2O3 |
0.12 |
Gd2O3 |
2.11 |
Tb4O7 |
0.33 |
Dy2O3 |
1.85 |
Ho2O3 |
0.36 |
Y2O3 |
10.02 |
Er2O3 |
0.98 |
Tm2O3 |
0.12 |
Yb2O3 |
0.61 |
Lu2O3 |
0.07 |
|
|
TREO* |
87.5 |
LREO** |
68.7 |
HREO*** |
18.8 |
Table 3. Chemical Analysis (%) of the REO
using ICP and XRF (Inductively Coupled Plasma and X-Ray
Fluorescence)
*TREO refers to the sum of all REs and Y as oxides
**LREO refers to the sum of La, Ce, Pr, Nd oxides
***HREO refers to the sum of Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu
and Y oxides
Element |
Analysis
(g/t) |
Th |
6.5 |
U |
48.5 |
Si |
<5 |
Al |
<2000 |
Fe |
744 |
Mg |
316 |
Ca |
<2000 |
Na |
<1000 |
K |
<1000 |
Ti |
<40 |
P |
<40 |
Mn |
64 |
Zn |
1490 |
F (%) |
0.15 |
C (%) |
0.02 |
Table 4. Impurity Analysis of the REO
Note that fluoride (F) and carbon (C) are reported as (%)
This process is a significant improvement over
the earlier Foxtrot work reported on May 9,
2012 (see "Search Minerals Announces Successful
Metallurgical Testing of Foxtrot Project Sample to Recover a 55.48%
TREO + Y2O3 Product (46.99% TREE+Y) with Overall Average Recovery
of 78.8%"). The steps of grinding, flotation, gravity and
magnetic separation to produce an ore concentrate are no longer
required to process the Foxtrot ore. The coarse crushed ore
is directly treated with small amounts of acid in a heated pug
mill, a conventional mixing device, prior to water leaching.
A larger scale demonstration test will be
performed at SGS in the Q3 2014. The test will provide data
for engineering scale-up, optimization of process parameters and
production of a multi-kilogram REO product for sampling to
potential refining partners for evaluation. Search is now engaging
with potential refining partners to assess the technical and
commercial requirements for refining the high grade REO product
from the Foxtrot ore. Following completion of the demonstration of
the Search's process, it is expected that the revised economics of
the Project will be developed by an independent engineering
contractor.
Search Minerals would like to recognize the
support, totalling C$225,000, made
available equally from RDC and ACOA to assist in the development of
innovative technologies for the recovery and refining of REEs from
ore mined at the Project.
Qualified Person
Dr. David Dreisinger, Ph.D., P.Eng.,
is the Company's Vice President, Metallurgy and Qualified Person
for the purposes of NI 43-101. Dr. Dreisinger has reviewed and
approved the technical disclosure contained in this news release as
applicable. The company will endeavour to meet high standards of
integrity, transparency, and consistency in reporting technical
content, including geological and assay (e.g., REE) data.
About The Foxtrot Project
The Foxtrot Project in the Port Hope Simpson Rare Earth Element
District in southeastern Labrador
has a positive Preliminary Economic Assessment indicating a
Life-of-Mine plan with indicated mineral resources of 5.3 Mt, at an
average grade of 0.89% Total Rare Earth Elements ("TREE"),
could be mined over 10 years, including open pit mining TREE for
the first 3.5 years and underground mining thereafter. Production
at the Project is anticipated to total 38 million kg of payable
rare earth material. Indicated mineral resources are estimated to
total 9.23 Mt at 0.88% TREE (or 1.07% Total Rare Earth Oxides
("TREO")), and inferred mineral resources are estimated to
total 5.17 Mt at 0.77% TREE (or 0.93% TREO).
Pending successful completion of a financing,
Search is planning an exploration program to further map and sample
Foxtrot-like mineralization throughout the Fox Harbour volcanic belt (see "Search
Minerals Announces Ten New Foxtrot-like REE Prospects in 64 km-long
Mineralized Belt in SE
Labrador", October, 30, 2013) and to prioritize targets
for a small exploration drilling program. The aim of this program
is to discover/document additional Foxtrot-like deposits in close
proximity to the Foxtrot Deposit, and to add to the Foxtrot
resource (currently 9.3 million tonnes Indicated at 189 ppm Dy, and
5.2 million tonnes Inferred at 176 ppm Dy (see "Search Minerals
Phase III Drilling Increases Foxtrot REE Project Resource Estimate
by 55% of Similar Grade," November 1,
2012).
About Search Minerals
Search Minerals Inc. (TSXV: SMY) is a TSX Venture Exchange listed
company focused on creating value through finding and developing
mineral assets with growing demand and constrained or restricted
supply, and with increasing use in innovative technologies. The
Company is actively pursuing opportunities and partnerships in
critical metals, including, but not limited to, tin, tungsten,
dysprosium and neodymium, prioritizing projects that can be
partnered, funded and developed in a relatively short period of
time, in strategic, friendly jurisdictions.
Search is the discoverer of the Port Hope
Simpson REE District, a highly prospective light and heavy REE belt
located in southeast Labrador,
where the Company controls a dominant land position in a belt 70 km
long and up to 8 km wide. In addition, Search holds a number of
additional mineral prospects in Newfoundland and Labrador in its portfolio, including claims in
the Strange Lake Complex (where Quest Rare Minerals has a Joint
Venture with Search); and at the Red Wine Complex (where Great
Western Minerals Group has a Joint Venture with Search).
All material information on the Company may be
found on its website at www.searchminerals.ca and on SEDAR at
sedar.com.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its
Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the
policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility of the
adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Cautionary Statement Regarding
Forward-Looking Information:
This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements"
under applicable Canadian securities legislation that are not
historical facts. Forward-looking statements involve risks,
uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results,
performance, prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from
those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The
preliminary economic assessment is preliminary in nature, it
includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too
speculative geologically to have the economic considerations
applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral
reserves and there is no certainty that the preliminary economic
assessment will be realized. Mineral resources that are not mineral
reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.
Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of
estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are
subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors
which may cause actual results and future events to differ
materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking
statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general
business, economic and social uncertainties; litigation,
legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory,
political and competitive developments; and those additional risks
set out in Search's public documents filed on SEDAR at
www.sedar.com. Although Search believes that the assumptions and
factors used in preparing the forward-looking statements are
reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these
statements, which only apply as of the date this news release and
no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the
disclosed time frames or at all. Except where required by law,
Search disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any
forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information,
future events, or otherwise.
SOURCE Search Minerals Inc.