Jindalee Resources Ltd (ASX:JRL) is trading higher on revealing metallurgical results described as ‘exceptional’ from initial head assays from the McDermitt Lithium Project in Oregon, USA.
The company completed the beneficiation of metallurgical samples via attribution scrubbing at a coarse cut size of 250 microns returning 92% lithium recovery with 25.3% mass rejection.
Average grade to leach was 2,107 ppm lithium, 18% higher than the average head grade of the metallurgical samples and 57% higher than the average mineral resource grade.
Based on this success, the 250-micron cut size will be adopted for initial acid leaching test work for the McDermitt pre-feasibility study (PFS), with variable attrition times and cut sizes, and scrubbing of coarse material to be further investigated.
Investors have welcomed the test results, sending JRL shares as much as 15% higher in early ASX trading to A$1.15.
Higher concentrations in finer fractions
Beneficiation test-work on individual units has confirmed higher lithium concentrations in the finer fractions of Units 4 and 6, where the minus 38-micron fraction contains 90.5% and 81.1% of the contained lithium respectively.
This has positive implications for the processing of these deeper units with the potential to optimise lithium recoveries by adopting a finer cut size as development progresses.
Lithium recovery to leach feed by particle size (Units 4, 6, 8 and 10).
Forward plan
Acid leaching of the beneficiated samples (250 micron cut) is underway with initial results expected early December 2023.
The results from the acid-leaching test-work will feed into the PFS, which is expected to be completed by mid-2024.
Samples from Units 4, 6, 8 and 10 are also being beneficiated for shipping to POSCO for further test-work, pursuant to the memorandum of understanding signed with POSCO in February 2023.