INTEX RESOURCES - The International Resource Journal

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6 ASIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST Intex Resources individual components during maintenance of such units,” he explains. The deposit itself consists of two principally different laterite ore types: limonite and saprolite ore. The limonite is enriched in nickel and cobalt and can be successfully processed by high-pressure acid leach technology because of its high iron content, whereas saprolite ore is low in iron and generally considered better suited for other processing techniques. “Traditionally, saprolite and limonite ores are not processed together; saprolite is usually taken to smelters, whereas limonite is processed with hydrometallurgical methods, but we have studied this and after successful test work found that it is possible to process both ore types economically using hydrometallurgy methods, only” Petersen explains. Because saprolite is magnesium-rich, hydrometallurgical processing in atmospheric pressure tanks will require about twice the amount of acid than the limonite circuit. However, more acid also means more waste heat and an acid plant, which converts native sulphur to sulphuric acid, can be used to the company’s advantage in generating electricity. Based on the full size plant design, the steam from the acid plant can generate 110MW of carbon-free electrical power.
MAY 2012 The International Resource Journal 7 “The trick is the acid plant will generate not only all the acid and steam we need for bringing fluids around in the processing plant, but also provides all the electricity we need, including what is required to transport the ore from the mine to the plant near the coast, and all carbon free and ndependent on fossil fuels, and this is significant because you can imagine – six-million tonnes for the full-sized plant or two-million tonnes for the small – trucks for this transport would eat a lot of diesel. We don’t have to buy diesel for this because we will transport the ore via cable conveyors from the mine site to the plant site,” Petersen says. Match-making Intex Resources is now looking for partners to build a consortium that can provide the project with engineering and operational experience. “A competent EPC contractor can make a significant difference on the project. In addition to engineering and operational experience, we are also looking for partners, who are interested in off-take or end-use of the products and are interested in taking part in making this exciting project happen,” Petersen says. The consortium is also looking for bringing in a major Philippine industrial partner. Intex Resources has recently signed an MOU with MCC8, a major metallurgical construction group in China, to establish a consortium for Mindoro Nickel. MCC8 used to be the main nickel company in the country, but Jinchuan, now Chinas largest nickel company, was spun out and MCC8 remained the engineering arm for the nickel industry, but also developed new directions. “MCC8 is one of those examples of a partner that might not seem the most obvious, being primarily an engineering group, but they have started getting involved in green projects worldwide, with clean technology and watercleaning projects in Africa and elsewhere, and this is very appealing. Here is a Chinese company that wants to show that things can be done green and are just as excited about the potential of a “green” carbon-neutral mining project as we are,” Petersen says. If a proper consortium can be brought together to help realise the Mindoro project, Intex Resources is prepared to offer 90-per-cent share to the consortium. “We are first and foremost mine developers, not mine operators, so we would like to see this project happen, so we can find and develop the next big project – this is what we do best,” he adds. The company’s next big project could well be a significant molybdenum deposit in Norway, but Petersen does not want to get ahead of himself. If a Mindoro consortium can be established
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INTEX RESOURCES - The International Resource Journal

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