Tungsten West (LON:TUN), the mining company focused on restarting production at the Hemerdon tungsten and tin mine ("Hemerdon" or the "Project") in Devon, UK, is pleased to provide an update on its Project development activities.
Highlights
•The Company has executed two supply agreements that cover the major additions for the improvement plan to re-start the Hemerdon Mineral Processing Facility ("MPF"):
o An agreement with Duo Group PLC ("Duo") for the Engineering Procurement and Construction ("EPC") works package for the New Build Crushing, Screening and Ore Sorter Facility ("New Build Construction").
o An agreement with Gekko Systems Pty Limited ("Gekko") for the supply of an In Line Pressure Jigs ("IPJ") system and associated infrastructure.
•These two agreements encompass all major new additions required to complete the improvement programme to the process flow sheet via the installation of:
o A new primary jaw crusher and secondary cone crusher to replace the pre-existing legacy hybrid rolls crushers at site, offering greater reliability, efficiency, improved crushing performance and better compliance with environmental regulations.
o A crushed ore stockpile that will provide buffer capacity and greatly improve reliability of supply.
o An ore sorting facility utilising advanced particle scanning to separate recoverable, higher quality material from waste rock, reducing the amount of material required to be processed in the MPF by around 70%.
o IPJ system to further upgrade the coarse particles feed material, further reducing the amount of coarse material needed to be processed inside the pre-existing MPF by a further 75%.
•All fines material (<0.8mm) and significantly upgraded coarse material (0.8mm to 7mm) will then be processed in the pre-existing MPF which is currently undergoing a refurbishment programme to produce saleable tungsten and tin concentrate.
Jeff Court, CEO of Tungsten West, commented:
"I am extremely pleased to partner with Duo and Gekko, two well established and highly regarded suppliers, on these important work packages as we reach another critical stage in restarting Hemerdon. These supply agreements will ensure that we have all the major processing additions in place to implement the improvement plan at the MPF.
"I want to extend my gratitude to both of our new supply partners for their support of Tungsten West and the Project, and I look forward to updating the market with further progress as we advance towards our path to production."
Martin McWilliams, Managing Director of Duo, commented:
"We are pleased to have executed a formal agreement with Tungsten West to deliver the EPC works package for the new crushing, screening and ore sorter facility at Hemerdon. This appointment reflects our technical capability and experience in delivering complex mineral processing infrastructure projects to the highest standards of safety, quality and environmental compliance. Works on site will commence immediately, marking an important step forward in the delivery of the New Build Construction programme. We look forward to working collaboratively with the Tungsten West team to support the successful redevelopment of the Project. We are committed to executing the programme in a disciplined and timely manner to support the Company's operational and environmental objectives."
Andrew Edmondston, CEO of Gekko Systems, commented:
"Gekko Systems is very excited to be working with Tungsten West on the Hemerdon Project. The In Line Pressure Jig has been successfully employed in pre-concentration applications in many tin and tungsten projects around the world. Its many benefits include high recoveries, low operating costs and low water usage. We look forward to these benefits being realised on the Hemerdon Project."
Source:www.londonstockexchange.com
Aleksei Andrievskii is the founder of the ANDRIEVSKII SEA WEALTH family office in Cyprus, a member of the advisory board at Bendura Bank AG, Liechtenstein