Barra Resources (ASX:BAR) has announced “excellent” progress on the prefeasibility study for its Mount Thirsty cobalt-nickel project in Western Australia.

Highlights are as follows:

• PFS level metallurgical test work results of the whole ore leach case by Wood independently validate the scoping study assumptions.

• Beneficiation test work successfully concentrates target asbolane mineral into one half of the mass and increases potential leach feed grades to as high as 0.33 percent cobalt.

• Technical and economic assessment identifies the whole ore leach case as superior to the beneficiation case on multiple financial and non-financial criteria.

• Whole ore leach selected as the go-forward case for the PFS.

• Optimisation of leach conditions underway aiming to further increase leach recoveries.

• Engineering to a PFS level of accuracy scheduled for Q1 2019.

Sean Gregory, Barra Resources’ managing director and CEO, commented:

“These high-quality technical results and key design decisions continue to de-risk the project development pathway for the Mt Thirsty project. Mt Thirsty is reaffirmed as an advanced high grade and low capex solution to the flourishing battery industry’s need for low cost and sustainable sources of cobalt, an otherwise scarce commodity.”

Click here to read the full press release.