On July 4, Canada-based nickel-iron alloy deposits exploration company First Point Minerals Corp. announced that it has reached positive results in the metallurgical test work for the Decar nickel project in central British Columbia which is being advanced under an option/joint venture agreement with Cleveland, Ohio, US-based mining company Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (Cliffs) that was signed in November 2009.
The metallurgical test work shows the "naturally occurring" nickel-iron alloy is recoverable using a simple, low-risk, conventional two-stage grinding and magnetic separation process. This will produce a ferronickel concentrate grading 2.6 percent nickel based on an 80 percent recovery of the nickel-iron alloy, which represents 49 percent of the rock's total contained nickel. The concentrate also grades 52 percent iron as magnetite and 2.2 percent chromite.
Dr. Gordon Bacon, an independent metallurgical consultant of Cliffs, said, "The metallurgical results to date exceed expectations, and improved nickel grade will be achieved with some minor loss in recovery. The majority of the non-nickel minerals are predominantly magnetite with magnesium silicate. From a stainless steel making perspective there are no deleterious minor elements."