Savage River Mine Long Plains Kinetic Trials: Interim Report 4

The University of Tasmania were instructed by Grange Resources Ltd (Grange) to undertake 3-year column leach kinetic trials on waste rock materials (A, B and D type) from the Long Plains project at the Savage River Mine. The objectives of this study are as follows:

1. Evaluate the geochemical and mineralogical characteristics of the column feed material;

2. Evaluate the water quality evolved from the columns (pH and EC weekly) and metals (monthly); and

3. Record mineralogical changes periodically (i.e., every three months) to identify reaction products.

The work program commenced in August 2015, and is ongoing until 2018. Correspondence with Grange Resources (Roger Hill and Tony Ferguson) was undertaken to establish the project, followed by delivery of samples to UTas. Mineralogical evaluations of the column feed were performed (by XRD at UTas) before homogenising each waste type, loading the cells and starting the experiments.