Podium Minerals (ASX:POD) reports Phase 3 Parks Reef concentrator optimisation
Podium Minerals has reported Phase 3 optimisation test work at its Parks Reef Project, focused on improving and validating the proposed PGM Concentrator flowsheet using representative sulphide composites designed to reflect practical baseload feed conditions.
Highlights
Flotation Circuit 3E PGM recovery increased by 31% to 67% from 51%, while copper recovery increased to 73% from 47%.
Targeted PGM Value Recovery Circuit size was reduced by approximately 50%, with power requirements reduced by approximately 40%.
Overall Concentrator recovery was maintained at approximately 80% 3E PGM, while copper recovery increased to 81% from 52%.
Combined Concentrator product grade increased 18% to 97 g/t 3E PGM, representing an approximate 52-times feed upgrade.
Metallurgical development at Parks Reef has progressed through a phased program.
Phase 1 confirmed that PGMs could be recovered using conventional industry-standard PGM concentrator routes, while Phase 2 retained conventional flotation as the primary recovery process and introduced the PGM Value Recovery Circuit.
Phase 3 commenced in 2026 with 2 objectives, optimisation and validation, with optimisation directed at improving recovery, product grade, mass pull and circuit efficiency beyond the Phase 2 flowsheet.
Validation is directed at confirming that optimised Concentrator performance can be consistently achieved across different sections of the Parks Reef sulphide zone.
The optimisation results are based on PRDD012, drilled downdip of and on the same traverse as PRDD009, the Phase 2 baseline composite.
PRDD009 represented a 14m bulk sulphide composite grading 1.65 g/t 3E, while PRDD012 targeted a 9m high-grade hanging wall and footwall blend grading 1.85 g/t 3E.
Samples were also tested under the original Phase 2 pre-optimisation conditions to confirm comparability.
Preferred operating conditions were established through 22 single- and multi-parameter tests assessing blend strategy, grind size, reagent suite, pulp density, residence time and circuit configuration.
Improved primary flotation leaves less material reporting to the PGM Value Recovery Circuit, which incorporates magnetic separation, ultra-fine grinding, selective PGM leaching and carbon extraction using proven technologies established within the mining industry.
Under the optimised Phase 3 flowsheet, the Flotation Circuit produces a concentrate grading 76 g/t 3E at a normalised 1.6% mass pull, while the PGM Value Recovery Circuit produces a high grade product grading 3,000 g/t 3E, with chrome content remaining below 0.12% Cr.
Parks Reef is situated 5m to 15m below the upper or southern contact with the upper mafic member and includes a high-grade Hanging wall PGM Zone with 1m to 5m true thickness, a PGM Zone with 3m to 14m true thickness and a high-grade Footwall PGM Zone with 0m to 3m true thickness, with the footwall zone containing elevated PGM grades including Rh, Ru, Os and Ir.
Podium Minerals Managing Director Rod Baxter said,
“Our focus now is to validate these outcomes across a broader range of representative sulphide composites from the proposed Starter Mine area.”
The validation program is designed to confirm that the optimisation outcomes can be consistently replicated across a substantial portion of the Parks Reef deposit and support progression to the next stage of project development.
Parallel metallurgical work includes testing core from recent deep drill holes, PGM mineralogical characterisation covering speciation, liberation and floatability, and comminution testing to support grinding circuit design.