Metallurgical testing confirms Cape Lambert strategy

Cape Lambert Iron Ore has recently received very encouraging metallurgical....

  Cape Lambert Iron Ore has recently received very encouraging metallurgical results from a test program aimed at reducing the silica content in iron ore concentrates to be produced from its Cape Lambert iron ore project, located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.Cape Lambert recently announced a JORC-compliant resource for the project of 1.56 billion tonnes grading 31.2% Fe, with a further resource upgrade scheduled for the June 2008 quarter. The company has undertaken reverse flotation testing at the Iron Ore Processing Research Institute in Liebenburg, Germany, to determine whether a worst case primary concentrate containing 8% silica could be improved by reducing silica levels to below 5% (suitable blast furnace pellet feed). The tests showed that by employing reverse flotation a worst case primary magnetite concentrate produced from the Cape Lambert resource assaying 63.1% Fe and 8.3% silica could be improved to 66.4% Fe and 4.8% silica with greater than 91% Fe recovery. The tests were conducted on 50kg of concentrate produced from a 150kg composite sample utilising the proposed Cape Lambert flow sheet. Cape Lambert Executive Chairman, Ian Burston said the company was very pleased with the outcome of the test work. “These results confirm the company’s view that it will be able to produce a saleable final concentrate at less than 5% silica, which is suitable for blast furnace pellet feed,” Mr Burston said.