Montero Confirms That Rare Earth Dike Mineralization From Wigu Hill is Amenable to Upgrading by X-Ray Sorting With Over 80% R...
02 February 2012 - 12:30AM
Marketwired Canada
Montero Mining and Exploration Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:MON) ("Montero") announces that
preliminary X-Ray sorting tests done on bastnaesite rich samples and associated
waste rock samples from the Twiga Zone have indicated that the ore is amenable
to X-Ray sorting, upgrading the sample by 55% (based on Lanthanum ("La") and
Cerium ("Ce") content) while recovering more than 80% of the Rare Earth Elements
("REEs") in the feed. Together with Mintek, Montero has been active in mineral
processing and metallurgical testwork to test the Wigu Hill carbonatite material
for recovery of Rare Earths. Mintek have over 25 years of Rare Earth experience
working on research and testwork programs developing economic process routes for
various Rare Earth materials.
Dr. Tony Harwood, President and CEO of Montero commented, "The results of
the RADOS XRF Ore Sorter Phase 1 testwork completed by Mintek have
provided us with a greater confidence in the ability to selectively mine
higher grade material from the Twiga Zone at Wigu Hill. Additionally,
testwork has the potential to upgrade run-of-mine material and reduce acid
consumers through the sorter's ability to reject the waste material. This
is a corner stone in keeping the process of mining and processing of the
rare earth mineralisation as simple and low cost, encouraging our fast
track mine to market strategy."
Hand-picked rock samples of varied geological and mineralogical composition were
sent to the Mintek metallurgical facility in South Africa from the Twiga Zone at
Wigu Hill for testing with the RADOS XRF Ore Sorter. The objective was to
establish if the X-Ray sorter is able to identify the variation of the REE
content. Samples were individually analysed, identifying material with greater
than 10% TREO, 6-9% TREO and material with other geological compositions with
lesser REE content and barren waste wall rock material. The numbers of
fluorescent photons corresponding to the characteristic energies for Rare Earth
Elements ("REEs") were plotted and this was then used as the criteria to
differentiate high-grade material from the waste or REE barren material as seen
in the chart below.
To view this chart please visit:
http://www.monteromining.com/projects/pdf/rados.pdf.
The chart shows the results from the preliminary sort of 100 samples based on
their Lanthanum and Cerium content. It has been established that the RADOS XRF
Ore Sorter machine can differentiate between REE barren, low-grade and high
grade particles. The La+Ce/Ns values are plotted for each particle. (La+Ce) as
referenced in the chart represents the number of fluorescent photons
corresponding to the characteristic energy for (La+Ce) with (Ns) being the
number of backscattered x-rays.
A preliminary sort test run was completed where the samples were put through the
RADOS XRF Ore Sorter to separate the material into a concentrate of high-grade
material and discarded material. Partcilces from each stream were chemically
analysed to quantify the separation. The results indicated that the RADOS XRF
Ore Sorter was able to upgrade the sample by 55% (looking at La and Ce content)
while recovering more than 80% of the REEs in the feed. The results indicate
that a significant amount of carbonate waste material is removed and therefore
the unwanted Ca, Mg and Fe contaminants are reduced in the final concentrate.
See table below:
-------------------------------------------------------------
Discrete Grades (%)
-------------------------------------------------
Mass (g) Mass % La Ce Ca
-------------------------------------------------------------
Discard 4120 48% 1.03 1.13 18.51
-------------------------------------------------------------
Concentrate 4444 52% 4.20 4.42 13.79
-------------------------------------------------------------
Feed 8564 100% 2.68 2.84 16.06
-------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------
Discrete Recovery
-------------------------------------------------
Mass (g) Mass % La Ce Ca
-------------------------------------------------------------
Discard 4120 48% 19% 19% 55%
-------------------------------------------------------------
Concentrate 4444 52% 81% 81% 45%
-------------------------------------------------------------
Feed 8564 100% 100% 100% 100%
-------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
Discrete Grades (%)
------------------------------------------------------
Fe Mn Sr Ba Mg Si
------------------------------------------------------------------
Discard 3.82 1.27 3.01 0.63 5.40 2.42
------------------------------------------------------------------
Concentrate 1.99 0.66 7.40 2.49 2.36 10.70
------------------------------------------------------------------
Feed 2.87 0.96 5.29 1.59 3.82 6.72
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------
Discrete Recovery
------------------------------------------------------
Fe Mn Sr Ba Mg Si
------------------------------------------------------------------
Discard 64% 64% 27% 19% 68% 17%
------------------------------------------------------------------
Concentrate 36% 36% 73% 81% 32% 83%
------------------------------------------------------------------
Feed 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
------------------------------------------------------------------
Future Work Programs:
The next phase of the testwork will include testing a bulk sample with the RADOS
XRF Ore Sorter to gauge parameters such as particle size, exposure, and its
economic viability as a separation method.
Qualified Person's Statement
The technical information contained in this press release has been reviewed by
Mr. Mike Evans, M.Sc. Pr.Sci.Nat., who is a qualified person for the purpose of
National Instrument 43-101 and a consulting geologist to Montero.
About Montero Mining and Exploration
Montero Mining and Exploration Ltd. Is a mineral exploration and development
company engaged in the identification, acquisition, evaluation and exploration
of mineral properties primarily focused on rare earth elements (REE), phosphates
and uranium in Tanzania, South Africa and Quebec, Canada respectively. Montero
is focused on adding value for all shareholders through the acquisition and
exploration on properties, which have the highest potential for future
discoveries or development of existing mineral resources into mineable reserves.
We remain engaged in the development of our flagship Wigu Hill Rare Earth
Element Project in Tanzania, which is a high-grade, undeveloped Light Rare Earth
Element deposit. The Company's current focus is on updating the initial NI
43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate and advancing the hydro-metallurgical testwork
with Mintek. With the rising prices of REEs and China's control over export
quotas, it is becoming imperative that the rest of the world develops new rare
earth resources to meet the increasing demand from "green" technology and
high-tech applications.
Montero's growth strategy is to develop the Wigu Hill Rare Earth Element project
and to bring this to account through eventual rare earth production and cash
flow, while operating in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. We
will continue to add value through the development of our portfolio of
properties. Montero trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol MON.
Dr. Tony Harwood - President and CEO
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT: This News Release includes certain "forward-looking
statements". These statements are based on information currently available to
the Company and the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet
management's expectations. Forward-looking statements include estimates and
statements that describe the Company's future plans, objectives or goals,
including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated
condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by
such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could",
"would", "will", or "plan". Since forward-looking statements are based on
assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they
involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results relating to, among
other things, results of exploration, project development, reclamation and
capital costs of the Company's mineral properties, and the Company's financial
condition and prospects, could differ materially from those currently
anticipated in such statements for many reasons such as: changes in general
economic conditions and conditions in the financial markets; changes in demand
and prices for minerals; litigation, legislative, environmental and other
judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological and
operational difficulties encountered in connection with the activities of the
Company; and other matters discussed in this news release. This list is not
exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking
statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers
should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. The
Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be
made from time to time by the Company or on its behalf, except in accordance
with applicable securities laws.
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