FPX Nickel optimizes the Baptiste flowsheet boosting recovery to 88.7%

Ahead of the prefeasibility study due in September, FPX Nickel (TSXV: FPX) says recent metallurgical tests have increased the recovery of nickel from samples taken at the Baptiste nickel project by 4%, to 88.7% compared to 84.7% in the 2020 preliminary economic assessment. The results were based on Davis tube recoverable (DTR) testing.

The company points to its results as further validation of DTR testing as a geometallurigical screening tool.

The optimized concentrator flowsheet for Baptiste ore includes primary grinding and three stages of magnetic separation followed by regrinding and a fourth stage of magnetic separation. This will be followed by flotation to recover an awaruite concentrate. The float tails will be leached to recover dissolved nickel in nickel sulphate and a cobalt precipitate.

The Baptiste deposit in British Columbia is part of FPX’s 100%-owned Decar nickel project. The 2020 PEA included 2.0 million indicated tonnes grading 0.122% DTR nickel, containing 2.4 million tonnes of metal and 592,890 inferred tonnes at 0.144% DTR nickel, containing 675,885 tonnes of metal.