Pensana Rare Earths has announced promising initial results from beneficiation testwork on samples from the Sulima West deposit, part of the Coola exploration licence, located 75 km north of Longonjo in Angola.
The testwork aims to assess whether the mineralogy at Sulima West can be upgraded on-site before transporting the material to Longonjo for further processing.
The company reported that both tested samples show potential for separation and upgrading to a high-grade concentrate using simple magnetic and gravity processes.
Following the completion of the testwork, a drilling program will be conducted to delineate the extent of near-surface mineralization over the 6-hectare target area at Sulima West.
One composite laterite sample graded 8.4% total rare earth oxide (TREO), with 80% comprising magnetic iron and manganese oxides and 10% rare earth element-rich monazite.
Magnetic and gravity separation testwork aims to produce a 50% TREO concentrate suitable for processing at Longonjo.
Another sample of apatite-maghemite graded 22% phosphate and was upgraded to 42.6% phosphate using magnetic separation. The goal is to produce a commercially viable phosphate concentrate exceeding 40%.
“These early results indicate the potential for low-cost physical beneficiation of the Sulima West ore on-site, feeding the Longonjo processing plant with a high-grade rare earth concentrate,” said exploration manager Grant Hayward.
