Highlights
- High-grade silver-lead concentrates with advanced flotation results.
- Substantial recovery rates for lead and silver achieved.
- Ongoing resource update and scoping study to advance project details.
Operating in the base metal mining sector with an emphasis on silver and lead ores, Maronan Metals (ASX:MMA) has completed flotation testwork that produced concentrates of exceptional grade. The process achieved a lead content of over seventy-four percent and a silver grade measured in thousands of grams per tonne. These figures were obtained from ore samples with modest native grades that underwent a primary grind to one hundred micrometres and a subsequent regrind and cleaning stage down to twenty-three micrometres.
Metallurgical Process and Recoveries
The flotation procedure employed standard reagents commonly used in nearby base metal processing facilities. Recovery rates reached approximately ninety-five percent for lead and just above ninety percent for silver. This result is significant for the company’s operations and supports the efficiency of the applied methodology. The ore, originally containing modest lead and silver grades, responded well to the standard flotation approach when the grind size was adjusted accordingly.
Impurity Control Measures
During the testwork, minor concentrations of antimony and fluorine were detected. Focused efforts on managing the fluorine content resulted in a reduction that meets required thresholds, thereby addressing one of the key challenges in mineral processing. The effective control of these impurities is an important step in refining the operational strategy and ensuring that the concentrates meet market specifications.
Upcoming Resource and Scoping Update
Maronan Metals plans to collect additional metallurgical samples to further expand the understanding of the ore characteristics. An updated resource announcement coupled with a comprehensive scoping study is scheduled to outline the project details and operational framework. The work is aligned with the company’s objective to define the Starter Zone where multiple intercepts of silver-bearing ores have been encountered. This forthcoming update is expected to provide further clarity on the operational schedule set for the coming years.