Viking (ASX:VKA) forge up vanadium in Stage 2 metallurgy
The first results of Viking Mines‘ Stage 2 metallurgy at its Canegrass Battery Minerals Project have demonstrated excellent mass recoveries up to 54.6%, limited sensitivity to grind size, and concentrate grades up to 1.41% vanadium pentoxide.
The concentrate was notably achieved with more than 58% iron, in line with Viking’s objective of ensuring a marketable iron ore concentrate can be produced alongside high-value vanadium.
The company has just brought in an upgraded MRE holding 2.2 billion pounds of vanadium pentoxide, and a next phase of metallurgy has been designed to demonstrate its pathway toward final saleable products.
Viking Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Julian Woodcock said that this was a critical next step towards producing a high-quality Vanadium Pentoxide flake.
“The start of this next phase aims to build on the success of the previous sighter testwork completed by the Company and represents our commitment to advancing the Project forward,” Mr Woodcock said.
“The first results we have received as part of the Stage 2 testwork demonstrate the high quality of the ore, with impressive results including mass recoveries up to 54.6%, Vanadium recoveries up to 93.1% and the concentrate grading 1.4% V2O5.”
Mr Woodcock added that demonstrating a low sensitivity to grind sized further enhanced the project’s potential.
“Viking are rapidly advancing this high-value Project, and when the testwork is complete we will be able to determine the best pathway to extract value for the benefit of shareholders. I look forward to sharing the progress and results with the market as we achieve key milestones,” he said.
The company will now continue to progress testwork with further regrind and cleaning of the concentrate to be finished off ahead of the roasting to produce its end products.
$0.011