unlocking billions in trapped resources
Hydrometallurgical innovations unlocking billions in trapped resources
A forward leap in resource recovery technology
We partner with mining companies to efficiently recover metals from complex ores while alleviating the environmental and financial burdens of mine rehabilitation
Proven recovery increases of up to
16x
Our hydrometallurgical chemistry technology solves the key technical problems preventing the recovery of billions of dollars of trapped resources
Proven recovery increases of up to
16x
Our hydrometallurgical chemistry technology solves the key technical problems preventing the recovery of billions of dollars of trapped resources
Improving environmental outcomes and enabling the circular economy
Our proprietary process reduces acid-generating potential of waste by oxidizing sulphides, and can be applied to primary ”live tailings” in operating mines as well as legacy tailings, transforming waste into vast new resource stockpiles and reducing environmental liabilities
Improving environmental outcomes and enabling the circular economy
Our proprietary process reduces acid-generating potential of waste by oxidizing sulphides, and can be applied to primary ”live tailings” in operating mines as well as legacy tailings, transforming waste into vast new resource stockpiles and reducing environmental liabilities
Technology
Breakthrough efficiencies in resource recovery from complex refractory polymetallic ores
- frees metal trapped in pyritic & volcanogenic massive sulfides (VMS) with mild acid catalyst in a self-sustaining reaction
- quick reaction (<1 hr), low temperature ~85°C, operates at atmospheric pressure
- small operational footprint, lower energy metal production, and enhances ESG project profile
- neutralizes potentially acid-forming tailings
- 22 patents and designs in IP portfolio
The Problem
Refractory, polymetallic volcanogenic massive sulfide ores (VMS) are complex and difficult to process. But they are some of the richest sources of critical and precious metals, including copper, zinc, lead, nickel, gold, and silver.
Globally, there are over 900 VMS deposits with a total of 15.3 billion tonnes of ore, but recoveries from these deposits are historically low or expensive. High-value resources are entrained as sub-microscopic particles inside low-value host minerals, which are difficult and costly to process.
Even after processing, wastes from VMS ores often contain high grades of base and precious metals. There is an estimated US$1.16 trillion worth of unrecovered metal in this material.
Until now, the mining industry has used extreme heat, high pressure, long acid exposure, ultrafine grinding, and specialized large-footprint plants to access these resources.
Such methods are expensive, and consume large amounts of energy, making many refractory ore projects uneconomical.
The waste generated from pyritic ores is also potentially acid-forming and a liability for companies’ balance sheets, the environment, and communities.
Our Innovation
Years of investment in research and development is on the cusp of unlocking extraordinary value for the mining industry.
We have developed a weak acid leach technology that operates at atmospheric pressure, relatively low temperature using an exothermic reaction, with a short 1-hour residency time. It does not necessarily require fine grinding to optimize metal recovery from complex ores, and the acid acts as a catalyst in a self-sustaining chain reaction, and little of it is consumed. An acid recycling circuit serves to further control costs.
We partner with asset owners to deploy this technology optimized for site-specific geologies, and finance and install modular, scalable plants for commercial production.
The Benefits
Previously inaccessible metals can be recovered economically without specialized equipment, on a small operational footprint with a “bolt-on” configuration, while consuming less energy than other methods.
The process also neutralizes the acid-forming potential of waste material, reducing the environmental concerns of acidic drainage. This technology has the potential to reduce legacy environmental liabilities from existing tailings as well as new ore streams, offering owner/operators an ESG and cost-savings opportunity, and communities improved environmental outcomes for resource development.
Our Operations
We are developing our first commercial deployment at Hellyer Gold Mine in Tasmania, Australia with several other projects in commercial negotiation.
The Hellyer Mine produced 15 million tonnes of ore, but due to the refractory nature of the volcanogenic massive sulfides, 95% of the gold and 67% of the silver remain unrecovered in stored waste, along with significant amounts of copper, lead, and zinc. There are approximately 9.25 million tonnes of material to be reprocessed.
With our proprietary technology, we will vastly enhance metal recoveries. Test work to date has demonstrated gold recovery rates of >80% and silver recovery rates of >90%—a ~16x recovery increase for gold.
Hellyer Highlights
965,000 oz Au Equivalent of gold, silver, copper, zinc
After-Tax NPV10 US$175 million
After-Tax IRR 66%
After-Tax net cash flows of US$350 million
Cost $100 less per-ounce than industry average
Click Here to download our NI 43-101 technical report
Breakthrough efficiencies in resource recovery from complex refractory polymetallic ores
- frees metal trapped in pyritic & volcanogenic massive sulfides (VMS) with mild acid catalyst in a self-sustaining reaction
- quick reaction (<1 hr), low temperature ~85°C, operates at atmospheric pressure
- small operational footprint, lower energy metal production, and enhances ESG project profile
- neutralizes potentially acid-forming tailings
- 22 patents and designs in IP portfolio
The Problem
Refractory, polymetallic volcanogenic massive sulfide ores (VMS) are complex and difficult to process. But they are some of the richest sources of critical and precious metals, including copper, zinc, lead, nickel, gold, and silver.
Globally, there are over 900 VMS deposits with a total of 15.3 billion tonnes of ore, but recoveries from these deposits are historically low or expensive. High-value resources are entrained as sub-microscopic particles inside low-value host minerals, which are difficult and costly to process.
Even after processing, wastes from VMS ores often contain high grades of base and precious metals. There is an estimated US$1.16 trillion worth of unrecovered metal in this material.
Until now, the mining industry has used extreme heat, high pressure, long acid exposure, ultrafine grinding, and specialized large-footprint plants to access these resources.
Such methods are expensive, and consume large amounts of energy, making many refractory ore projects uneconomical.
The waste generated from pyritic ores is also potentially acid-forming and a liability for companies’ balance sheets, the environment, and communities.
Our Innovation
Years of investment in research and development is on the cusp of unlocking extraordinary value for the mining industry.
We have developed a weak acid leach technology that operates at atmospheric pressure, relatively low temperature using an exothermic reaction, with a short 1-hour residency time. It does not necessarily require fine grinding to optimize metal recovery from complex ores, and the acid acts as a catalyst in a self-sustaining chain reaction, and little of it is consumed. An acid recycling circuit serves to further control costs.
We partner with asset owners to deploy this technology optimized for site-specific geologies, and finance and install modular, scalable plants for commercial production.
The Benefits
Previously inaccessible metals can be recovered economically without specialized equipment, on a small operational footprint with a “bolt-on” configuration, while consuming less energy than other methods.
The process also neutralizes the acid-forming potential of waste material, reducing the environmental concerns of acidic drainage. This technology has the potential to reduce legacy environmental liabilities from existing tailings as well as new ore streams, offering owner/operators an ESG and cost-savings opportunity, and communities improved environmental outcomes for resource development.
Our Operations
We are developing our first commercial deployment at Hellyer Gold Mine in Tasmania, Australia with several other projects in commercial negotiation.
The Hellyer Mine produced 15 million tonnes of ore, but due to the refractory nature of the volcanogenic massive sulfides, 95% of the gold and 67% of the silver remain unrecovered in stored waste, along with significant amounts of copper, lead, and zinc. There are approximately 9.25 million tonnes of material to be reprocessed.
With our proprietary technology, we will vastly enhance metal recoveries. Test work to date has demonstrated gold recovery rates of >80% and silver recovery rates of >90%—a ~16x recovery increase for gold.
Hellyer Highlights
965,000 oz Au Equivalent of gold, silver, copper, zinc
After-Tax NPV10 US$175 million
After-Tax IRR 66%
After-Tax net cash flows of US$350 million
Cost $100 less per-ounce than industry average
Click Here to download our NI 43-101 technical report