Xtract Resources (AIM:XTR) announced it has been granted a 10-year renewable mining licence for the Amghas antimony mine and has started moving existing processing infrastructure from Casablanca to Amghas as Wildstone SARL finalises a processing permit.
Wildstone SARL, Xtract's 80%-owned Moroccan mining venture, has submitted documentation for an on-site gravity plant that is positioned as the first phase of a regional processing hub leading to a larger central flotation plant.
The company describes the gravity plant as a 70,000 tonnes-per-annum facility and lists upgrades and new equipment, feeders, crushers, jiggs, shaking tables, a ball mill and pumps, with a stated throughput of 300 tonnes per day.
Flotation test work on run-of-mine ore returned typical concentrate grades of 65% antimony, and the company says the upgraded gravity circuit should produce pre-concentrates in the 15-26% Sb range.
Xtract expects the gravity plant to treat Amghas ore and purchases from local small-scale miners, with gravity tailings retained to support future value recovery through the planned flotation plant.
"The grant of the Amghas mining licence and the rapid mobilisation of processing infrastructure mark an important milestone for Xtract in Morocco," said Colin Bird, Executive Chairman.
