First PGMs at Mintek
September 25 2007 - 6:04AM
UK Regulatory
RNS Number:4278E
Braemore Resources PLC
25 September 2007
25th September 2007
Braemore Resources Plc
("Braemore" or "the Company")
Braemore to Produce First PGMs from Smelting Concentrates at Mintek,
New CFO Appointed
Braemore Resources Plc (AIM: BRR) announces that its subsidiary Independence
Platinum Limited ("IPt") has commenced continuous smelting activities at
Mintek's 3.0 megawatt (MW) smelter in Johannesburg, South Africa. The first
Platinum Group Metals ("PGMs") will be tapped from the smelter as alloy this
week, and Braemore will join the exclusive ranks of PGM producers.
Braemore has already secured more than six months' worth of feedstock for
smelting at Mintek and is actively negotiating with various producers to secure
an ongoing supply. The feedstock material comprises revert tails (high chrome
content slag from UG2 smelting operations at traditional "six-in-line" smelters
containing PGMs) and high chrome UG2 concentrates from a variety of sources.
The bulk of this initial material is similar to feedstock previously smelted at
Mintek. Mintek has smelted over 30,000 tonnes of material during the development
of its ConRoast smelting process at its facilities in Johannesburg. Braemore has
now taken a ten year option over these facilities to demonstrate
commercialisation of the process.
Braemore has also entered into discussions with both current and potential new
suppliers of difficult to smelt concentrates (high chrome content PGM
concentrates) which are increasingly available from existing and new producers.
These concentrates are not amenable to regular smelting in traditional
"six-in-line" smelters.
Depending on the grade of the smelter feedstock processed, smelting by Braemore
at Mintek should produce approximately 30,000 ozs of PGM product from smelting
12,000-15,000 tonnes of material per annum, generating positive cashflow of GBP
2.5-3 million per year. This step is an important one for the company, clearly
indicating the commercial viability of the ConRoast process. The smelter is
currently limited in throughput due to various operating constraints and it is
the intention of Braemore to increase capacity to its nameplate early in the new
year, effectively doubling throughput.
The feasibility study into the establishment of a new 10MW UG2 smelting facility
on the western limb of the South African Bushveld Complex is expected to be
completed by March 2008. Following the completion of a positive feasibility
study, construction and commissioning of this dedicated ConRoast smelter would
be expected by Q3 2009. A second feasibility study on the first full scale 35MW
ConRoast Smelter is also on track and should be completed by late 2010.
Appointment of Chief Financial Officer
Braemore is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Rosslee as Chief
Financial Officer of the company, with immediate effect. He will be based in
Braemore's Johannesburg offices.
Mark is currently Chief Finance Officer and Director of Central African Gold,
having held similar positions with Metallon, Southern Era Diamonds and Southern
Platinum Limited. He has gained extensive experience in the mining industry with
the De Beers group at both a corporate and operation level over a period of
twelve years.
ENDS
For further information contact:
Braemore:
Mr Hamish Bohannan
Managing Director
Braemore Resources Plc
Telephone (Office): +61 8 9218 8833
Telephone (Mobile): +61 419 234 770
Nabarro Wells & Co. Limited
Mr Hugh Oram
Director
Telephone (Office) +44 20 7710 7400
Parkgreen Communications
Justine Howarth
Erica Nelson
Telephone (Office): +44 20 7851 7480
Notes to Editors:
Braemore Resources Limited
Braemore Resources Plc is a public company listed on the Alternative Investment
Market of London Stock Exchange.
Independence Platinum Limited
Independence Platinum Limited was formed for the purposes of evaluating,
establishing and operating independent base metal refining facilities for the
smelting and refining of sulphide concentrates containing platinum group metals
from emerging platinum producers in South Africa.
There are some 26 new PGM projects under review in South Africa at present with
only a few of these having offtake agreements with the major PGM producers, who
require concentrates meeting exacting specifications in terms of low chrome and
nickel content. Most of these newer projects would produce concentrates with
higher chrome and nickel contents which are metallurgically challenging for
traditional "6-in-line" smelters.
Consequently, there is an urgent requirement for a new independent smelter
applying new smelting technology that can accommodate such "difficult"
concentrates. IPt with its proven patented ConRoast smelting technology,
licensed from Mintek in South Africa, has the ability to process these ores.
Independence Platinum is proceeding with the implementation of plans for the
commercialisation of ConRoast initially through the 3MW Mintek smelter and then
through the development and operation of 10MW and ultimately 35MW independent
smelting and base metals refining facilities in South Africa.
The new smelting and refining facilities are being evaluated in terms of an
initial capacity to process 360,000 tonnes of sulphide concentrates containing
PGMs per annum, to extract and produce up to 30,000 tonnes of nickel metal,
15,000 tonnes of copper metal and 1,000,000 ounces of PGM in a high grade PGM
iron alloy for subsequent precious metal refining.
Mintek
Mintek is a statutory body constituted in South Africa and a leading
organisation engaged in the business of research, development, commercialisation
and promotion of technologies for the processing of minerals world wide.
ConRoast Process
Mintek developed, piloted and patented a process for the treatment of sulphide
concentrates containing platinum group metals, nickel, copper, cobalt and other
base metals ("ConRoast Process").
The ConRoast Process offers significant advantages in terms of environmental
impact, health and safety as well as substantial operating benefits in terms of
lower capital expenditure and operating costs and product quality.
The ConRoast Process operates to remove sulphur from the metal sulphide
concentrates by roasting, followed by smelting of dead-roasted concentrate in a
DC arc furnace using an iron based alloy as a collector of platinum group
metals, nickel, copper, cobalt and other base metals.
Sulphur emissions are captured and removed from the enclosed roasting equipment
in a continuous stream of sulphur dioxide gas of an appropriate strength to be
used to produce sulphuric acid for use in associated base metal leaching
operations.
The ConRoast Process provides great flexibility for treatment of a range ore
types and concentrate compositions without imposing limits on the minimum
quantities of contained base metals or sulphur. It can tolerate high contents of
chromite in concentrates characteristic of UG2 ores. UG2 ores are becoming
increasingly important in the production of platinum group metals.
The ConRoast Process produces a metal alloy from the furnace which is water
atomised prior to leaching.
Overall the ConRoast Process achieves very high metal recoveries and produces
high purity metals and a clean high-grade concentrate of platinum group metals
for precious metals refining.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
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