Rambler Metals (RMM:AIM) (RAB-TSXV)
The company has been testing the use of Dense Media Separation (‘DMS’) as a pre-concentration step before milling of the ore in the processing plant with the objective of expanding the Ming Mine beyond the current planned 1,250 metric tonnes per day (‘mtpd) mining rate. The test processed 2,200 dry metric tonnes (‘dmt’) of run of mine low grade material (0.8% copper), this material yielded 1,457 dmt of plant feed material grading 1.14% copper. this represents a 1.4x increase of grade in this pre-concentration step recovering 93.6% of the total contained copper prior to milling.
Norman Williams, President and CEO, commented: DMS and shaft rehabilitation could further enhance project economics over the short and long term. Management is working towards compiling the necessary information and technical work for a full analysis during the fall of 2017.”
The 2016 DMS program results were consistent with similar testing completed in 2015 and the smaller scale external DMS test results. With the Phase II expansion into the LFZ well underway, Rambler’s focus is to determine the economics of installing and operating a commercially sized DMS plant at the Ming Mine. Should DMS pre-concentration be implemented at the mine site, more of the in-situ LFZ mineral resource of 26 million tonnes at 1.47% copper could be converted into reserve, as well as further optimisation of the economics of the mining milling complex on the Baie Verte Peninsula.
Rambler’s Phase II plans to increase production to 1,250 mtpd are expected to be completed by mid calendar 2017. Rambler has a view to further increase production to 2,000 mtpd at the Ming Mine by continuing to advance engineering studies on DMS, shaft rehabilitation and a detailed study at the mill to increase gold recovery and production rate in the copper concentrator.