ASX-listed Consolidated Tin Mines Ltd. (CSD) has released an update on the progress of the DFS study for the Gillian deposit of its Mt Garnet tin project in north Queensland, Australia. The update outlines pilot schemes for the optimisation of the tin roasting and fuming recovery process.
Unlike the majority of existing tin operations, a gravity separation method is not possible at Mt Garnet due to the similar density of the cassiterite and the gangue mineralogy. The Gillian, Pinnacles and Windermere deposits that make up the Mt. Garnet project are all iron-rich skarn deposits containing fine cassiterite for which a roasting and fuming method for recovery of the tin is more appropriate.
Optimisation of Sn recovery from roasting will take place in a pilot scale rotary kiln in Wisconsin, USA, on a 15 tonne bulk sample extracted from along the strike of the Gillian deposit. Testwork on the tin fuming process was undertaken a CSIRO, Victoria and will be followed up by metallurgical testing at the recently commissioned Mt Garnet Tin Fuming Test Facility.
As well as being a focussed tin explorer and developer, CSD is a base metal producer which operates two mines, with ore processed at the Mt Garnet concentrator. The company’s objective is to maintain current base metal production and develop the tin project into a major low cost, open pit tin mining operation.
