Warriedar Resources (ASX:WA8) Ricciardo Project: Antimony joins the golden fold

A Leap in Concentrate Quality

Initial flotation testing on Ricciardo’s primary antimony composite delivered a concentrate grade of 38.5% Sb with an impressive 83% recovery.

Now, further bench flotation test work has upped the ante: a concentrate grade of 49% Sb, maintaining a robust recovery rate of 81%.

Warriedar Resources, Managing Director Amanda Buckingham stated,

“This latest set of antimony metwork from Ricciardo is further excellent news. It demonstrates the potential to produce a considerably higher antimony concentrate grade, for only a very modest recovery trade-off of circa 2%.”​

This progress places Ricciardo’s antimony in the league of Australia’s sole operating antimony mine, Costerfield, which produces concentrates of similar calibre.

Such results underscore Ricciardo’s growing importance in the critical minerals space, where antimony is seeing a surge in demand for its applications in batteries, flame retardants, and military alloys.

Golden Range Gets a Critical Edge

While Ricciardo’s 947,500 ounces of gold remains the cornerstone of Warriedar’s strategy, the discovery of substantial antimony zones adds a new dimension.

Buckingham explained,

“High-grade gold remains the primary economic driver and focus for Warriedar at Ricciardo and the ‘Golden Corridor’ deposits.

However, adjacent and associated antimony mineralisation may provide an additional opportunity due to recent evolution in the global critical minerals space.”​

The company has already sent 4,172 historical drill hole pulps for multi-element assaying, aiming to establish a maiden antimony Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) by the end of Q1 2025.

The results could further elevate Ricciardo’s profile, both economically and strategically.

Streamlining Processing Synergies

One of the standout features of Ricciardo’s mineralisation is the potential to process antimony using the same flotation plant designed for the primary gold ore at Golden Range.

This integration could streamline operational costs and improve project economics.

The mineralisation itself—dominated by berthierite and stibnite—sits in discrete zones, enabling separate processing for gold and antimony.

Such versatility enhances Ricciardo’s mining feasibility and its appeal to investors seeking exposure to both gold and critical minerals.

The Road Ahead

With antimony resources still open at depth and along strike, Ricciardo offers tantalising prospects for further discoveries. As Buckingham remarked,

“We are also on track for the declaration of a maiden antimony Mineral Resource Estimate for Ricciardo during the current quarter.

In an era where critical minerals are reshaping resource narratives, Ricciardo is well-positioned to capture the growing demand for antimony, marking Warriedar Resources as a company to watch in 2025.