Tag Archives: lithium concentrate

Piedmont enlists Primero and Marshall Miller for lithium concentrate DFS

Piedmont Lithium has awarded the definitive feasibility study (DFS) of its planned spodumene concentrate operations in North Carolina, USA, to a combined team including Primero Group and Marshall Miller & Associates.

Marshall Miller is to lead quarry design activities, while Primero will advance the concentrator design, infrastructure design, and be responsible for overall study management, Piedmont said.

The study will target production of 160,000 t/y of 6% Li2O spodumene concentrate, as well as co-products including quartz and feldspar. It will include the results of the pilot test work currently ongoing at SGS Canada, which will involve “dense medium and flotation” pilot work.

Piedmont expects to complete the study on its namesake project in mid-2021 and pursue an investment decision for the concentrate operations shortly after.

At the same time, Piedmont says it is looking into developing an integrated lithium hydroxide business in North Carolina, with a planned lithium chemical plant DFS to commence in the March quarter.

Earlier in 2020, Piedmont entered a memorandum of understanding with Primero Group related to delivering the planned spodumene concentrator at the Piedmont lithium project. The two have partnered since early 2018, with Primero having been the lead engineering consultant for Piedmont’s scoping studies, concentrator design, and metallurgical test work management.

Piedmont has engaged Marshall Miller, based in Bluefield, Virginia, since 2018 to advance mine design, permitting activities, survey, geotechnical study, waste rock and tailings storage design, and other engineering support services.

Birimian charges DRA Global with flowsheet optimisation at Goulamina lithium project

ASX-listed lithium hopeful, Birimian, says it has selected DRA Global to provide engineering services to optimise the process flowsheet for the Goulamina lithium project in Mali.

The scope of work will include the following deliverables, Birimian said:

  • Review and interpretation of the metallurgical test work;
  • Process design criteria;
  • Mass and water balance;
  • Block flow diagram;
  • Process flow diagrams, and;
  • Mechanical equipment list.

Birimian said the work is key to developing and optimising the design of the process plant for Goulamina and to the subsequent production of a capital cost estimate to the +/-10% level of accuracy required for the definitive feasibility study (DFS). The DFS is due for completion in the March quarter of 2020.

DRA has recently been involved in the execution of number of lithium studies and projects, with the key personnel assigned to Birimian having played an integral role in the design and commissioning of three lithium projects in Western Australia in the last 12 months, Birimian said.

“[They] will contribute an unrivalled combination of knowledge and experience in an area which is crucial to the success of the Goulamina lithium project,” the company said.

The recommended development scenario as outlined in a 2018 updated prefeasibility study showed an open-pit mining operation and a 2 Mt/y mineral concentrating plant, able to produce 362,000 t/y of 6% Li2O spodumene concentrate. The maiden ore reserve came in at 31.2 Mt at 1.56% Li2O, which was derived from an indicated mineral resource of 43.7 Mt at 1.48% Li2O, supporting a 16-year operating life at 2 Mt/y.