Highlights:
- The multi-month pilot plant program conducted by Eriez Flotation Division (Pennsylvania, USA) returned excellent recoveries and concentrate grades for both fresh and oxidized carbonatites from the Três Estradas deposit.
- Pilot scale flotation plant test work on the oxide mineralization produced a concentrate grading 35% P2O5 yielding a total circuit recovery of 87%.
- Pilot scale plant test work on the fresh carbonatite pilot flotation plant circuit produced a concentrate grading 32% P2O5 yielding a total circuit recovery of 80%.
- The pilot plant results confirm the previous bench-scale column flotation tests and provide data for the design of the commercial scale column flotation circuit for the operation.
- Completion of Pilot Plant Program is a key step in Aguia’s BFS which is progressing well.
- Results confirm Três Estradas has similar metallurgical performance to Vale’s Cajati mine in Brazil and Yara’s Siilinjärvi mine in Finland.
- Results demonstrate excellent beneficiation results can be achieved using well-established processes and may positively impact the operation’s cost profile.
Toronto, CANADA, October 4, 2017 – Brazilian fertilizer developer Aguia Resources Limited (ASX: AGR, TSXV: AGRL) (“Aguia” or “Company”) is pleased to report that the Company has completed extensive pilot plant testing of its oxidized and fresh carbonatite phosphate ores from the Três Estradas Project, in Southern Brazil.
The pilot plant program was conducted at the Eriez Flotation Division (“EFD”), a world leader in advanced flotation technology and a wholly owned subsidiary of Eriez Manufacturing Co. EFD provides advanced testing and engineering services, in addition to sparging and flotation equipment for the mining and mineral processing industries. EFD has extensive experience in column flotation, and is a leading supplier of column flotation equipment, services and expertise to the Brazilian phosphate and iron ore industries. Worldwide, EFD has supplied more than 1,000 unit operations for flotation equipment, including more than 100 for phosphate applications in the United States, Brazil, Canada, China, and South Africa.