Esperance Sands
The Esperance Sands project is conveniently situated only 15km away from the Esperance Port, offering excellent proximity for logistical operations. In line with the project’s commitment to respecting the cultural heritage of the area, the Esperance Tjaltjraak Native Title Aboriginal Corporation will conduct a comprehensive Heritage survey. Resource drilling for the project is scheduled for the second quarter of 2023, with drilling operations expected to commence in May 2023. Notably, the project aims to extract high-grade Ag-lime through a straightforward flotation process, emphasizing the efficiency and effectiveness of the chosen extraction method.
Esperance Sands possesses a unique type of silica sand that exhibits significant mineralisation with calcium carbonate.
The company is actively pursuing the development of a metallurgical processing solution aimed at effectively separating the silica and calcium carbonate, yielding two valuable product streams. One stream will consist of high-grade silica sand specifically tailored for the photovoltaic industry, while the other stream will comprise high-grade calcium carbonate, potentially finding application in the local agricultural market as a soil conditioner.
In the initial stage of the metallurgical processing program, sighter tests have shown promising results, with a notable separation of silicates and carbonates into rougher concentrate and tails respectively. However, the desired outcome of achieving two high-purity product streams has not been fully realized at this point. To overcome this challenge, the company has enlisted the expertise of a specialist float laboratory and metallurgical consultants who are collaborating with the company’s Process Engineering Team. Together, they are conducting further beneficiation testwork at the laboratory scale to optimise the process.
The objective of this ongoing research and development is to generate viable product streams of calcium carbonate and silica with high levels of purity. As the R&D efforts progress, the company intends to release the results as they become available, keeping stakeholders informed about the advancements in the project.