Press release: Weda Bay selects Canada's Lakefield Research for metallurgical pilot plant studies
Wednesday, April 11 2001 - 04:00 AM WIB
Canadian listed nickel explorer Weda Bay Minerals Inc. has appointed Lakefield Research Limited (www.lakefield.com/) to undertake process development and pilot plant test work for the feasibility study on its extensive nickel and cobalt laterite deposits on Halmahera Island in Indonesia.
The process development work has commenced at Lakefield's Perth, Australia test facility. A 20 tonne sample of limonite and transitional material has been collected from the Santa Monica deposit for shipment to the Lakefield test facility near Toronto, Canada to enable the continuous pilot scale test work to commence.
Metallurgical test work to determine the variability within the proposed initial plant feed from Santa Monica is also in progress at Hydrometallurgical Research Laboratories (www.hydromet-research.com.au) in Brisbane, Australia.
Weda Bay Minerals Inc is continuing to make good progress with its detailed feasibility study on its extensive nickel and cobalt laterite deposits on Halmahera Island in Indonesia. The current indicated and inferred resource is 204 million tonnes at 1.37% Ni and 0.11% Co.
The Lead Engineer for the feasibility study is a joint venture between Kvaerner Process (Australia) Pty Ltd (www.kvaerner.com/) and Hatch Associates Pty Ltd (www.hatch.com/). The detailed feasibility study will determine the project economics and encompasses developing the resource, engineering the plant, developing a tailings disposal system and determining the environmental parameters. The study is progressing satisfactorily and is on schedule for completion by years end.
By Order of the Board Weda Bay Minerals Inc. John Lynch Chief Operating Officer
The Toronto Stock Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the information contained herein.
Contact: Weda Bay Minerals Inc., John E. Lynch, Tel: 61 7 3250 2200, Fax: 61 7 3852 1088, E-mail: jlynch@wedabay.com.au; or R. Michael Garvey or Ian Shaw, Tel: 416/603-0591, Fax: 416/367-3638, E-mail: info@wedabay.com (*)