Blackstone Minerals

Blackstone Successfully Completes Major Milestone at Ta Khoa

Blackstone Minerals Limited (“Blackstone” or the “Company”) is pleased to provide a project update concerning its integrated Ta Khoa mine to battery precursor project in Vietnam (the “Project”). The Company has achieved a major milestone following the completion of a comprehensive 12-month piloting programme.


Blackstone’s piloting programme at ALS Metallurgy (“ALS”) in Western Australia was completed on 16 December 2022. Piloting is a critical milestone to validate and underpin ongoing Definitive Feasibility Studies (“DFS”). With the support of ALS, and process engineering partner Wood, a 12-month programme of work was undertaken that developed a scaled version of Blackstone’s concentrate to sulphate flowsheet. Highlights:

  • Operations: >15,000 labour hours without injury
  • Feed: >7 tonnes (comprised of Ban Phuc and third-party tonnes from Trafigura)
  • POX piloting: >700 hours of operation
  • SX piloting: >1,100 hours of operation
  • MHP: >2.2 tonnes produced and leached
  • Product quality:

1. Nickel sulphate: achieved battery grade specification
2. Cobalt sulphate: achieved battery grade specification
3. Copper cathode: achieved 4N specification

  • Stakeholders: five visits from potential partners and other stakeholders

Technical outcomes have met and / or exceeded assumptions within Blackstone’s Pre- Feasibility Studies. These data points will be incorporated into the DFS. In support of partnership efforts, nickel and cobalt sulphates have been provided to potential partners.

The success of the piloting programme is a product of Blackstone’s investment in R&D utilising internal and external resources. Internally, Blackstone’s owners’ team brings over 50 years’ experience in leadership roles at major nickel mines and refineries globally. This experience has been complemented by Blackstone’s engineering partner, Wood, and partnerships with Future Battery Industries CRC, Curtin University and the Electric Mining Consortium.

A key R&D objective is to develop and validate a flowsheet that can produce precursor for the electric vehicle market with industry leading ESG credentials. Independent assessments from Digbee, Minviro and Circulor have provided this assurance including an assessment – audited by the Nickel Institute – that confirmed the Project will be the lowest emitting flowsheet in its industry at 9.8kg of CO2 per kilogram of precursor (with opportunities to reduce further). Other ESG priorities are progressing to deliver on Blackstone’s Green NickelTM ambitions.

An application for a $3.7 million research and development (“R&D”) rebate has been completed for submission to the Australian Tax Office in recognition of flowsheet technology developed in FY2021/2022. Blackstone will update the market upon receipt of the R&D rebate. A forecast cash position of $18 million is estimated for 31 December 2022 (excluding cash from controlled entities, listed investments valued at $16.5M & the R&D rebate) with an estimated cash burn rate of $2M per month in 2023.

Execution of the Project will be optimised with partners that complement Blackstone’s development strategy. In support of this, five groups visited the Project site in 2022 as part of the strategic partnerships process. These visits were accompanied by meetings with government representatives (provincial and federal), Austrade, financial institutions and other important stakeholders. Visits to Vietnam have been complemented by partnership meetings in Australia, South Korea and Europe.

Scott Williamson, Blackstone’s Managing Director:

“The completion of our pilot plant programme with the world-class ALS facility and team is a significant milestone for Blackstone. The programme was completed safely and on schedule. Importantly, the results validate and support key assumptions underpinning our definitive feasibility study. Outputs of the pilot plant have confirmed that our project’s flowsheet will be one of the lowest cost and lowest emissions globally; and an essential source of precursor supply for the accelerating electric vehicle market. Results of piloting are being incorporated into partnership discussions that will inform DFS outcomes.”


Click here for the full ASX Release

This article includes content from Blackstone Minerals Limited, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.

BSX:AU
Blackstone Minerals

Blackstone Minerals Investor Kit

  • Corporate info
  • Insights
  • Growth strategies
  • Upcoming projects

GET YOUR FREE INVESTOR KIT

The Conversation (0)
Blackstone Minerals

Blackstone Minerals


Keep reading...Show less

Promising new source of low-carbon, battery-grade nickel

Blackstone Minerals - Investor Presentation - February 2025

Blackstone Minerals - Investor Presentation - February 2025

Blackstone Minerals (BSX:AU) has announced Blackstone Minerals - Investor Presentation - February 2025

Download the PDF here.

Drill core samples in box.

Top 5 Canadian Mining Stocks This Week: Noble Mineral Exploration Gains 114 Percent on Nickel Assays

Welcome to the Investing News Network's weekly look at the best-performing Canadian mining stocks on the TSX, TSXV and CSE, starting with a round-up of Canadian and US news impacting the resource sector.

This week, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics released key inflation data, including its consumer and producer price index data on Wednesday (March 12) and Thursday (March 13). The reports show all items inflation was up 2.8 percent year-over-year in February, while core inflation — all items minus food and energy — was up 3.1 percent over that period. Both rose by 0.2 percent compared to January.

The numbers show that inflation has largely become stuck and is still far from the 2 percent target rate set by the US Federal Reserve. The data provides further insight into the health of the overall economy ahead of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting next week. The consensus among analysts is the Fed will choose to maintain its benchmark rate at 4.25 to 5 percent.

Keep reading...Show less
Cobalt, nickel and copper on periodic table.

Chalice Mining Makes Metallurgical "Breakthrough" at Gonneville Project

Chalice Mining ( ASX:CHN,OTC Pink:CGMLF) said on Monday (February 17) that it has made an important metallurgical breakthrough at its Gonneville projected, located in Western Australia.

The company said a hydrometallurgical process for nickel concentrate is no longer needed, as recent testwork results confirm that two saleable, smelter-grade flotation concentrates can be produced across the entire sulphide resource.

Managing Director and CEO Alex Dorsch said in a press release that this new information "materially reduces" capital and operating costs for Gonneville, also substantially reducing technical risk and process complexity.

Keep reading...Show less
"Anglo American" written on a phone screen with the words "buy" and "sell" behind it.

Anglo American to Sell Nickel Business to MMG for Up to US$500 Million

Anglo American (LSE:AAL,OTCQX:AAUKF) has agreed to sell its Brazil nickel operations to MMG Singapore Resources, a subsidiary of MMG (OTC Pink:MMLTF,HKEX:1208), for a cash consideration of up to US$500 million.

According to a Tuesday (February 18) press release, the transaction includes Anglo American’s Barro Alto and Codemin ferronickel operations, along with two development projects, Jacaré and Morro Sem Boné.

The purchase price comprises an upfront payment of US$350 million, a potential price-linked earnout of up to US$100 million and a further US$50 million contingent on a final investment decision for the development projects.

Keep reading...Show less
A small pile of nickel.

Nornickel's Net Profit Dips 37 Percent as Western Sanctions and Market Hurdles Persist

Moscow-based miner Norilsk Nickel (Nornickel) reported a 37 percent decline in net profit for 2024, citing ongoing western sanctions and lower metal prices as primary factors affecting its financial performance.

According to the company’s 2024 financial results, consolidated revenue fell 13 percent year-on-year to US$12.5 billion. EBITDA was down 25 percent to US$5.2 billion, with net profit dropping 37 percent to US$1.8 billion.

Company President Vladimir Potanin said that geopolitical restrictions, reduced access to western equipment and shifting trade patterns have negatively impacted the company’s ability to generate cashflow.

Keep reading...Show less
Blackstone Minerals Managing Director Scott Williamson.

Blackstone Minerals Expands Portfolio with Mankayan Copper-Gold Project Acquisition

In a strategic move that marks a significant expansion beyond the company's nickel-mining operations, Blackstone Minerals (ASX:BSX,OTC Pink:BLSTF,FWB:B9S) has announced a merger of equals with IDM International to acquire the Mankayan copper-gold project in the Philippines.

This acquisition positions Blackstone to leverage its expertise in the evolving mining landscape, driven by energy transition requirements, according to Blackstone Managing Director Scott Williamson.

"We can leverage (the) experience that we have from operating in Vietnam, which is a similar jurisdiction. We've operated in Vietnam for the last five or six years; we've been focused on nickel in Vietnam. Now we can use that team and our expertise in developing mines in Vietnam to the Mankayan project in the Philippines," he explained.

The Mankayan project is renowned for its high-grade copper and gold potential, supported by impressive historical drill results. Williamson emphasized the project's significance, indicating the potential for a substantial resource expansion.

Keep reading...Show less
Blackstone Minerals

Blackstone Minerals Investor Kit

  • Corporate info
  • Insights
  • Growth strategies
  • Upcoming projects

GET YOUR FREE INVESTOR KIT

Latest Press Releases

Related News

×