London-listed Pensana reported highly encouraging initial results from beneficiation testwork on samples from the Sulima West deposit, located within the Coola exploration licence, 75 km north of Longonjo, Angola.
The objective of this testwork is to determine the feasibility of upgrading the mineralogy at Sulima West on-site before transporting it to Longonjo for further processing. The company has found that both tested samples have potential for separation and upgrading to a high-grade concentrate through simple magnetic and gravity processes.
Key findings include:
- A composite laterite sample grading 8.4% total rare earth oxide (TREO), with 80% comprising magnetic iron and manganese oxides, and 10% rare earth element-rich monazite. Testwork aims to produce a 50% TREO concentrate suitable for Longonjo treatment.
- An apatite-maghemite sample grading 22% phosphate, which was upgraded to 42.6% phosphate using magnetic separation. The goal is to produce a commercially saleable phosphate concentrate greater than 40%.
- Upon completion of the testwork, a drilling programme will commence to delineate the extent of near-surface mineralisation over the 6-hectare target area at Sulima West.
Pensana Exploration Manager Grant Hayward remarked, “These early results indicate the potential for low-cost physical beneficiation of the Sulima West ore on-site, supplying the Longonjo processing plant with a high-grade rare earth concentrate.”
Pensana plc (LON:PRE) explores and mines neodymium, praseodymium, and rare earth minerals. The Company’s flagship assets are the Saltend rare earth refinery project in the United Kingdom and Longonjo neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr) Project in Angola.