VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Jul 25, 2013) - Pacific Wildcat Resources Corp. (TSX VENTURE:PAW) ("PAW" or the "Company") wishes to present an update on the Metallurgical Development Program for the Mrima Hill Niobium and Rare Earths Project in Kenya. (PAW indirect 70% ownership)
Key points of the update are:
- A simple hydrometallurgical process route to crack and separate both niobium and rare earths has been demonstrated at laboratory scale, and
- Bench scale testing achieved 90% dissolution for niobium and 99% for the rare earths.
The Mrima Hill deposit hosts significant rare earth content (PAW has an initial Exploration Target* for the Total Rare Earth Oxide {"TREO"} Mineralisation of between 30 million to 40 million tonnes at grades ranging from 4.0% to 5.0% TREO) in addition to its initial NI 43-101 compliant inferred niobium resource estimate of 105.3 million tonnes at 0.65% Nb2O5 (Including 12 million tonnes of 1.21% Nb2O5).
A flowsheet has now been developed by consulting metallurgist, Mr. Gavin Beer that will leach and recover both the niobium and rare earths into high purity saleable products. Mr. Beer has been managing the Company's metallurgical programs since January 2012 and has extensive experience within the rare earth industry.
To view Figure 1 - Block Flow Diagram of potential Process Route, please click on the following link: *Note that the potential quantities and grades of the above TREO estimates are conceptual in nature, and there is insufficient exploration to date to define a current mineral resource and therefore it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the target being delineated as a current mineral resource. A "qualified person" as defined under National Instrument 43-101 has not completed sufficient work to classify the above mentioned historical estimate as a current mineral resource. For details of individual Rare Earth Oxides that contribute to the TREO Exploration Target see Table 1.
A simple leach process has been developed to crack the niobium and rare earth bearing minerals without the need for baking kilns, as is common with rare earth flowsheets, or the use of hazardous hydrofluoric acid, which is required for some niobium bearing minerals.
The leach process has been successfully demonstrated at laboratory scale using a leach reactor at the CSIRO in Perth, Western Australia. The testwork was conducted on a subsample split from a bulk composite of 41 samples weighing 89kg's across 5 RC drill holes. The average grade of the sample was 1.06 % Nb2O5 and 1.90 % Total Rare Earth Oxides. The leach achieved 90% dissolution for the niobium and 99% dissolution for the rare earths in a single stage in less than 1 hour residence time.
The full flowsheet is being developed at Nagrom Laboratories, also in Perth, and will incorporate solvent extraction followed by precipitation to produce the niobium product. Rare earths will undergo an initial precipitation followed by a purification stage before being recovered as a mixed rare earth carbonate. In parallel, an alternative flowsheet is being evaluated by a large research institute with specialist expertise in hydrometallurgical niobium and rare earth flowsheets.
PAW President and CEO Darren Townsend said "We are very pleased with the progress that has been made to date on developing a metallurgical process for the Mrima Hill Niobium and Rare Earth Project. Mrima Hill is in the unique position of having a combination of very high grade Niobium and Rare Earths mineralisation located together and as a result this process flow sheet takes full advantage of this endowment"
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF PACIFIC WILDCAT RESOURCES CORP.
Darren Townsend, President & CEO
About Pacific Wildcat Resources Corp. - Pacific Wildcat is a TSX Venture Exchange listed Canadian mineral exploration company having the trading symbol "PAW". PAW owns 100% of Stirling Capital Ltd and Cortec Pty Ltd, two UK companies that between them own a 70% interest in Cortec Mining Kenya Limited, a Kenyan company which has the mining rights to the Mrima Hill Niobium and Rare Earth Project in Kenya. This is an ex Anglo American and Pechiney property the subject of extensive historic work. In July 2011 the Company completed an initial NI 43-101 compliant inferred niobium resource estimate of 105.3 million tonnes at 0.65% Nb2O5 for a total of 1.519 billion pounds contained Nb2O5 to a depth of 30 metres from the surface. For information about Pacific Wildcat Resources Corp. and its development and exploration activities shareholders and other interested parties are invited to visit the company's website at Table 1 - Exploration Target of individual TREO + Y2O3 | | | | | | |
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TREO + Y2O3 4.00 % | | | | | | | | | | |
REO-LIGHT = 3.63 % | | REO-HEAVY = 0.17 % | | | | | | Y2O3 = 0.20 % |
La2O3 % | CeO2 % | Pr6O11 % | Nd2O3 % | Sm2O3 % | Eu2O3 % | Gd2O3 % | Tb4O7 % | Dy2O3 % | Ho2O3 % | Er2O3 % | Tm2O3 % | Yb2O3 % | Lu2O3 % | Y2O3 % | | |
1.048 | 1.714 | 0.177 | 0.604 | 0.085 | 0.024 | 0.062 | 0.008 | 0.038 | 0.007 | 0.016 | 0.002 | 0.011 | 0.001 | 0.202 | | |
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TREO + Y2O3 5.00 % | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
REO-LIGHT = 4.54 % | | REO-HEAVY = 0.21 % | | | | | | Y2O3 = 0.25 % |
La2O3 % | CeO2 % | Pr6O11 % | Nd2O3 % | Sm2O3 % | Eu2O3 % | Gd2O3 % | Tb4O7 % | Dy2O3 % | Ho2O3 % | Er2O3 % | Tm2O3 % | Yb2O3 % | Lu2O3 % | Y2O3 % | | |
1.310 | 2.142 | 0.222 | 0.755 | 0.107 | 0.030 | 0.078 | 0.010 | 0.047 | 0.008 | 0.020 | 0.002 | 0.013 | 0.002 | 0.253 | | |
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