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Parkway Minerals commences pre-feasibility study for Karinga Lakes potash project

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World Fertilizer,


Parkway Minerals has announced that it has commenced a pre-feasibility study for its Karinga Lakes potash project in the Northern Territory, Australia.

Highlights

The Karinga Lakes potash project – pre-feasibility study (KLPP-PFS) will:

  • Evaluate the merits of developing the KLPP based on an innovative development concept incorporating aMES™ technology.
  • Assist in establishing the broader aMES technology platform through:
  • - Construction and commissioning of a state-of-the-art aMES pilot plant.
    - Flow sheet optimisation, validation and key equipment/vendor qualification.
    - Providing a practical demonstration of the advantages of the aMES technology over conventional brine project development concepts.
  • The KLPP-PFS will be delivered under the recently announced Global Strategic Cooperation Agreement and will be supported by a range of specialist consultants.

The Karinga Lakes potash project (KLPP) covers an extensive brine lake system over pastoral land, located approximately 250 km southwest of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, Australia. The chain of dry salt lakes is located within the Central Australian Groundwater Discharge Zone. During the last decade, KLPP joint venture (JV) partner Verdant Minerals has performed extensive resource appraisal studies, including substantial drilling and brine production testing. Historical studies identified the potential to produce a range of products from the KLPP, including potassium magnesium sulfate (KMS) and premium sulfate of potash (SOP).

Prior to acquisition by Parkway Minerals, Consolidated Potash Corp. Ltd (CPC) acquired an initial 15% interest in the KLPP by performing a scoping study, which identified a number of potentially attractive opportunities to develop the KLPP through an innovative approach based on the aMES technology. The key findings of the scoping study indicated that:

  • The aMES technology is effective in producing an ultra-pure (soluble grade, >K2O52) sulfate of potash product, which typically attracts a substantial premium over lower grade granulated SOP products.
  • The aMES technology has been successfully tested on a diverse range of brines and mixed salts harvested from the KLPP, over several years, highlighting the versatility of the technology.
  • The preferred process flowsheet based on the aMES technology, could potentially eliminate the requirement for flotation, process steam, gas pipeline and a fresh water bore-field (typical requirements for most conventional SOP flowsheets), significantly reducing project complexity and costs.

Parkway Minerals – Managing Director, Bahay Ozcakmak commented: “Following extensive planning, we are pleased to have reached this important milestone, not only for the Karinga Lakes potash project, but more specifically, for our aMES technology platform. In addition to thanking our JV partner at the KLPP, Verdant Minerals and our strategic R&D partner Victoria University for their continued support, I’d like to specifically congratulate our process engineering team. The efficiency with which the recently assembled Parkway Minerals engineering team has taken our core aMES flowsheets and developed detailed process designs, equipment datasheets, engaged strategic vendors, performed digital simulations of the operating aMES pilot plant, as well as a high-quality project execution plan, has been impressive, particularly given most of this work has been performed whilst working from home.

We will continue to work diligently to deliver the KLPP-PFS on time, on budget and strive to exceed the expectations of all our stakeholders in terms of the key deliverables. At the same time, we are critically aware of the challenges associated with developing greenfield mining projects. In this regard, with the support of our JV partner, the KLPP-PFS work program has been designed in a manner to maximise the benefits and to bolster the commercialisation of the aMES technology platform. In particular, the KLPP-PFS will enable Parkway Minerals and our recently announced EPC partner to develop joint capabilities, and together with the aMES pilot plant we are building, will immediately have applications for much larger and more advanced opportunities, some of which we have been evaluating for some time.”

Read the article online at: https://www.worldfertilizer.com/project-news/13052020/parkway-minerals-commences-pre-feasibility-study-for-karinga-lakes-potash-project/

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