The Conversation (0)
Formation Metals (TSX:FCO) is moving forward with mine development and construction of a concentrator on its Idaho Cobalt Project, as well as the retrofit and construction of an electrowinning cobalt production facility at the Big Creek Hydrometallurgical Refining Complex in Shoshone County, Idaho. At the Idaho Cobalt Project, construction tasks included access road upgrades, portal bench construction and the preparation of the Tailings Waste Storage Facility to accept waste rock from underground development. At Big Creek, engineering and construction efforts were focused on the development of the Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams and General Arrangement drawings.
As quoted in the press release:
Construction at the mine site concentrated on time critical construction tasks to prepare the project for underground development and winterization of the construction site. These tasks included access road upgrades, portal bench construction and the preparation of the Tailings Waste Storage Facility (“TWSF”) to accept waste rock from underground development. Underground excavation to the ore face will commence once the time critical construction tasks are completed and additional mine finance is secured. The building of the required processing facilities such as the mill, concentrator and water treatment plant are expected to begin concurrently with underground development. Initial production is expected to begin between 9 and 14 months from the commencement of underground development.
Engineering and construction efforts at the refinery focused on the development of the Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (“P&ID’s”) and General Arrangement (“GA”) drawings at the Cobalt Production Facility (“CPF”). In addition, modifications of the silver refinery progressed to accommodate the requisite modifications for third party copper/silver concentrates as well as cobalt concentrates from the ICP. P&IDs show the connectivity of equipment, sensors, and valves in a control system. P&ID’s also provide the basis for the conceptual layout of the CPF.
Click here to read the Formation Metals (TSX:FCO) press release