Cobalt Blue Holdings Ltd (ASX:COB) has entered an agreement with OZ Minerals Limited (ASX:OZL) to evaluate the application of COB’s technology to recover cobalt, copper and gold from a pyrite concentrate.
A key aim of the test work co-operation agreement will be to assess if a high purity cobalt sulphate can be produced from the concentrate from OZ’s Carrapateena Copper-Gold Project in South Australia.
OZ, which is scheduled to commission the project later this quarter, is evaluating optimisation opportunities.
Cobalt recovery technology
The prominent ASX-listed producer has engaged COB to complete test work to assess whether copper, gold and cobalt can be recovered from a pyrite concentrate using COB’s proprietary technology.
COB has successfully developed a processing technology for recovering cobalt from pyrite at the Broken Hill Cobalt Project.
A 2018 pre-feasibility study reported cobalt recoveries of 85–86% from ore to final cobalt sulphate product.
Possible similarities
Discussions between COB and OZL have identified possible similarities between the cobalt-pyrite minerals at the Broken Hill Cobalt Project and at Carrapateena.
The initial test work on a 10-15-kilogram pyrite concentrate sample will focus on the technical viability of COB technology and will not optimise metal recoveries, which may be the subject of further studies.
Carrapateena is around 360 kilometres west-northwest of the Broken Hill Cobalt Project.
COB continues to advance work programs advancing the Broken Hill Cobalt Project.
Cobalt is a strategic metal in strong demand for new generation batteries, particularly lithium-ion batteries now being widely used in clean energy systems.