MRG Metals Provides Impressive Koko Massava Metallurgical Testwork Update

Summary

• MRG is a cost effective, technically driven explorer, implementing programs designed to maximise the probability of discovering globally significant mineral resources.
• 13 high priority exploration targets are being tested at its Corridor Central & Corridor South Project, including high grade targets at Koko Massava. Auger & Aircore drilling programs are ongoing as well.
• Exploring the Corridor projects at a district scale, MRG Metals remains open to potential interest from established industry players with financial capacity & experience to partner with & take its discoveries to the production phase.
• Recent Metallurgical test work update undertaken on mineralised material from Koko Massava Mineral Resource has demonstrated a methodical approach to Project development.

MRG Metals Limited (ASX:MRQ) believes that key elements for success are mineralogy, grade, and tonnage.

The Company has achieved so much in just over 12 months of exploration. Not only has it established a Maiden JORC Resource at a discovery cost of less than $0.001 per ton of resource, multiple exploration targets have been identified, with preliminary results of many supporting further high-grade tonnage additions to the Company’s preliminary resource.

Continuing its development trajectory, MRG Metals has provided an impressive and significant progress update on metallurgical testwork undertaken by IHC Robbins in Brisbane, on a 100 Kg bulk sample of mineralised material from Koko Massava Mineral Resource. Not only has the metallurgical analysis provided clarity on HMS assemblage data, but it has also successfully produced three potential products which notably have viable smelter alternatives.

Metallurgical Testwork Progress Report

Head sample analyses on 100 kgs sample derived from Koko Massava mineral sands project indicates that-

• Bulk sample contains minimal oversize (+2.0mm), 15.6% fines (-45µm) and 5.0% heavy mineral (2.85sg).
• Weighted average data calculated at 1.2% oversize, 14.6% fines and 4.6% heavy mineral.
• BASF completed fines settling tests and flocculent selection tests affirming fines to settle readily using conventional flocculants, achieving high underflow solids %.
• Material seems possibly amenable to the development of a simple process consisting of a feed preparation process, wet concentration process, & mineral separation process.

IHC Robbins concluded that ore material derived from Koko Massava mineral sands project is amenable to typical mineral sands process methodologies and conventional equipment which facilitates development of a simple process.

Besides this, processing of material via the developed process produced three potential products. Let us cast an eye on this significant revelation below.

3 Potential Products Outlined in Metallurgical Testwork

Processing of Koko Massava material through developed process produced a potential titano-magnetite product, potential ilmenite product and a potential non-magnetic concentrate (zircon/rutile enriched)-

IHC Robbins notified that titano-magnetite product is comparable to other titanomagnetite products and has the potential to have additional TiO₂ credits associated with it. Potential ilmenite product is currently undergoing roasting trials and associated magnetic separation to remove the chromite and produce an upgraded potential ilmenite product with a potential TiO₂ content of 46-50% TiO₂. Overall TiO₂ recoveries, excluding semi-processed streams and any optimisation, into the potential titanomagnetite plus ilmenite products (before roasting) is calculated at 78.8%.

Overall TiO₂and ZrO₂ recoveries, excluding semi-processed streams and any optimisation, into the potential nonmagnetic concentrate is calculated at 2.1% and 75.6% respectively.

IHC also intimated that potential zircon product and rutile/HiTi product could be produced, with the potential zircon containing acceptable levels of U+TH and the rutile/HiTi acceptable levels of SiO_2.

Metallurgical Test Significance & Management View

The successfully produced 3 potential products importantly have viable smelter alternatives

Of noteworthy significance is-

• Clean ease of separation, low contaminants in the 3 streams, with ilmenite stream having a clear path to roasting success to bring Chromium levels down and Tio2 levels up to improve the value of end product
• Quality of Titanomagnetite stream, which had previously played no part in MRQ’s economic thinking now provides a significant uplift from 25% by weight of total THM -being factored into VHM component
• Quality and quantity of iron component, with accompanying TiO2 in this product stream, is exciting, though magnetite output from VHM components (titanomagnetite/ Illmenite/ luecoxene/ rutile/ zircon/ vanadium/ monazite) is of lower value
• Proposed titanomagnetite product is looking like it may become a significant credit to the Illmenite and Non-Magnetic Concentrate products. MRG Metals is keen on evaluating the same.

Metallurgical Testwork Specifics

Metallurgical testwork was undertaken on a 100 Kg bulk sample that is representative of mineralised zones of high valuable heavy mineral from the Koko Massava Mineral Resource by IHC Robbins in Brisbane. It followed the delivery of significant Koko Massava maiden mineral resource estimate of 1,423 million tonnes at 5.2% total heavy mineral. Additional substantial tonnage has been identified as exploration potential.

The goal of the geometallurgical test work is to-

• Characterise the process performance of heavy mineral sand, including conceptual process flow sheet development, production of products and determination of mineral recoveries.
• Ascertain how well the material processes, using typical process equipment and methodologies
• Produce potential typical mineral sands products (ilmenite, zircon, leucoxene and monazite and titano-magnetite),
• Identify any potential risks and/or critical flaws related to the mineralised material or potential products

What’s in Store?

IHC Robbins continues to undertake the metallurgical study. A further market update is likely once Final Report is received. IHC Robbins stated that additional, more detail test work to ascertain better the potential product qualities could be completed during the next phase of metallurgical test work using a larger bulk sample.

MRQ is trading at $0.009 on 14 July 2020 (AEST:11:57am).

KALKINE EXCLUSIVE WITH MRG METALS! In Discussion with MRG Metals: Transformational Investment Opportunity in HMS

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