High Purity Alumina (HPA) developer, FYI Resources has announced a number of milestones in its March 2019 quarterly activity report.

The Company’s integrated HPA strategy is to mine and beneficiate kaolin at the Cadoux Kaolin project located approximately 220 kilometres northeast of Perth, and transport the beneficiated aluminous clay to Kwinana, approximately 30 kilometres south of Perth, for refining into HPA ahead of export to expanding global markets.

Commenting on the quarter, FYI Resources CEO Roland Hill said that the company has achieved a number of milestones this quarter. Among these, was the successful production of 99.999 per cent alumina, which to date no other ASX-listed kaolin HPA company has been able to produce.

“We believe the ability to generate such an ultra-high purity product continues to demonstrate the Cadoux Project’s potential as a world-class kaolin to HPA asset,” said Mr Hill.

“We also commenced a 1,200 metre RC and diamond drilling program to further define the deposit and increase our understanding of the mineral variability of the kaolin at Cadoux and its impact on potential HPA production.

“The pilot plant construction and development is progressing well and is on track for completion in June. The pilot plant will provide us with increased confidence and certainty on the engineered flowsheet design and operational performance of the process circuit before committing to full scale commercial production. Work on the BFS continues, with the report on track to be submitted during the September quarter.”

The drilling program was designed to accomplish several technical tasks for Cadoux, including:
•    Increase FYI’s understanding of the mineral variability of the kaolin at Cadoux and its impact on potential HPA production;
•    Complete detailed ground water investigation as part of environmental studies;
•    Generate kaolin feedstock for FYI’s planned pilot plant;
•    Define the first phase of feedstock material for specific grade and mineralogy;
•    Deliver appropriate information to upgrade the current JORC category from a Measured Resource to Proven Reserves;
•    Utilised as the grade control for the first phase on mine scheduling; and
•    Provide further samples for analysis to be included in the project database.

The pilot plant will provide FYI with increased confidence and certainty on the engineered flowsheet design and operational performance of the process circuit before committing to full scale commercial production. The decision to proceed with the pilot plant is based on the expectation that a pilot plant test program will be important in understanding the metallurgical response of the kaolin throughout the designed flowsheet and the resulting engineering refinements required for efficient and balanced production of HPA in a continuous basis.

The supporting data and confirmation of the flowsheet effectiveness is particularly important to demonstrate ahead of committing to the capital expenditure of a full-scale operation.

Source:  www.fyiresources.com.au