South Boulder Mines Completes Colluli Project Technical Assessment, Confirms Feasibility of Process Design

South Boulder Mines (ASX:STB) has completed the technical review of staged deliverables of the pre-feasibility study process design, process design criteria, metallurgical testwork, plant configuration, and process equipment list for the Colluli Project in Eritrea, East Africa. The team, comprised of Don Larmour from Global Potash Solutions, David Butts from DSB International, John McEwan from McEwan Chemical Engineering Consulting, and Tom Broderick from Hazen Research, concluded that the process design is “functional, feasible, uses well proven processes and technologies, and is underpinned by testwork that confirms the validity of the process flow diagrams.”

As quoted in the press release:

Highlights

• Process review requested by South Boulder and Lycopodium
• Technical review committee consists of sulphate brine, solar pond and process plant design experts
• Process flow diagrams, process design criteria, process development, process equipment list and process test report reviewed
• Review committee confirmed Colluli potassium sulphate (“SOP”) process comprises well proven process steps
• Production path to SOP via intermediate salts is known and commercially proven
• Testwork to date confirms validity of process flow diagrams
• No major process design flaws
• Recommendations made for additional data from DFS pilot tests to enhance process design

The review was completed by the Colluli process technical review committee, which was established in January 2015. Following initial independent assessments, the committee met in Denver, Colorado on the 27th February to review the PFS design and testwork. The committee also reviewed the definitive feasibility study (“DFS”) optimisation metallurgical testwork and pilot test programme which are currently underway, to ensure adequacy of the test program in all critical elements of the process design.

The committee comprises Don Larmour from Global Potash Solutions, David Butts from DSB International, John McEwan from McEwan Chemical Engineering Consulting, and Tom Broderick from Hazen Research, Inc.

The key findings of the review concluded that the process design for the production of SOP from the Colluli resource is functional, feasible, uses well proven processes and technologies, and is underpinned by testwork that confirms the validity of the process flow diagrams.

The review has also identified a number of potential enhancements in the overall process design that will be further examined as part of the DFS.
Recommendations have been made for specific tests to be completed as part of the DFS pilot test programme.

South Boulder Managing Director, Paul Donaldson, said;

The recently released PFS for Colluli demonstrates that the project will be one of the lowest cost potassium sulphate producers in the world. Colluli is underpinned by a large resource that has the potential to grow a multi agrichemical business of global significance. We are pleased that the process design and testwork to date have been endorsed by a highly capable and experienced team of industry experts. No material issues have been identified, and a number of opportunities for improvement have been put forward to integrate with the DFS. The project will focus on a modular development path, with the first two modules each producing an expected 425,000 tonnes of SOP per annum.

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