Xtract Resources (AIM:XTR), the AIM-listed mining company, said Phase 2 metallurgical test work at its Amghas antimony mine in Morocco has confirmed the project can routinely produce concentrate grading more than 55% antimony (Sb).
The work was carried out by Wildstone SARL, Xtract's 80%-owned venture, through Moroccan mineral analysis specialist Afrilab Group. The tests used alkaline leaching with sodium sulphide to dissolve antimony while leaving lead in the leach residue, removing more than 99% of lead from the antimony stream.
That matters because lead in the host mineralisation would otherwise risk penalties on the final concentrate, and the trial instead converted it into a separate saleable product.
Antimony recovery also proved independent of grind size, with no material difference between 160-micron and 100-micron grinds, pointing to potential savings on grinding costs during commercial production.
Further work will focus on pH studies, additional desliming and longer alkaline leach residence times, conducted at a pilot plant in Rabat managed by Afrilab.
The results give Xtract enough confidence to advance a conceptual flowsheet design for submission to its preferred engineering group, supporting flotation plant design and capital and operating cost estimates.
The flotation work runs alongside development of a gravity plant at Amghas, intended to deliver early cash flow and act as a proof of concept while environmental permitting and flotation plant construction proceed.
Once the flotation plant is commissioned, the gravity plant will move to other Wildstone licences to process low-grade ore bought from regional artisanal miners.
"The ability to routinely produce a concentrate above 55% Sb, together with the successful removal of lead from the antimony stream, is a highly positive technical and commercial outcome", said executive chairman Colin Bird.
News Intelligence what this means for the company
Xtract Resources has confirmed Phase 2 metallurgical test work showing its Amghas antimony project can routinely produce concentrate grading above 55% antimony while removing more than 99% of lead impurities via alkaline leaching. The results validate the core processing flowsheet and allow the company to advance engineering design for its flotation plant, moving the project closer to the Q4 2026 first concentrate production target.
The Phase 2 results de-risk a critical technical hurdle—proving the project can meet market-grade specifications and handle the lead penalty problem that could otherwise erode concentrate value. Combined with the 70,000 tpa gravity plant already under construction, this positions Xtract to begin generating cash flow from early production while the larger flotation asset is built out.
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