Mount Burgess Mining (ASX: MTB) updates on gallium & germanium testwork progress

Highlights

• Testwork at the Nxuu deposit focused on on-site recovery of germanium and gallium.
• Composite sample from each drill hole was submitted for initial testwork.
• Particle size analysis and Heavy Liquid Separation (HLS) testing was also conducted on specific samples.
• Further gravity separation testwork and mineralogy is required for identifying other minerals associated with gallium and germanium .
• Additional metallurgical testing is necessary to assess on-site recovery feasibility.
• Gallium and germanium are currently priced at US$797.40/kg and US$2,954/kg, respectively.

Mount Burgess Mining NL (ASX: MTB) carried out mineralogical and metallurgical test work at the Nxuu deposit in the March quarter for on-site recovery of gallium and germanium. The Kihabe–Nxuu Project is located in Botswana, bordering Namibia, with focus on zinc, lead, silver, germanium, gallium, and vanadium. Nxuu is a basin-shaped, shallow deposit and mineralisation at the deposit occurs in a completely oxidised, weathered quartz wacke, located within a barren dolostone basin.

Following the release of its quarterly update, MTB has shared the technical processes of the testwork.

The testwork at Nxuu Deposit comprises the following steps:

• Three drill holes were made to form composites, subsequently assayed for Zn/Pb/Ag/V₂O₅/Ga/Ge..
• Each drill hole's composite sample (10 × 1kg) was provided for initial flotation testwork. The focus was to produce pre-floatation concentrate by removing mica mineralisation (consisting of Ga/Ge).
• Two composite hole samples underwent particle size analysis.
• The size fraction ranging from minus 1mm to plus 212microns underwent Heavy Liquid Separation (HLS) testing.

HLS is a method of assessing if an ore type can be preconcentrated by separating waste into coarse particles, potentially reducing process plant construction and operating costs.

Further gravity separation testwork and mineralogy is needed to:

• Identify other minerals linked with gallium and germanium in the 2.8t/m³ SG light float portion.
• Determine minerals associated with the 2.8t/m³ SG heavier sink portion.
• Separate silicates and dolomite from higher SG minerals like Smithsonite, Cerussite, and Descloizite. Minerals with SGs exceeding 3.5t/m³ will undergo further gravity testwork.

Mineralogical analysis of gravity samples will help in identifying gallium and germanium host minerals. Additional metallurgical testing is necessary to assess on-site recovery feasibility.

Current prices of gallium and germanium

Gallium, a soft metallic element with a low melting point, is used in  blue ray technology, LEDs, semiconductors, mobile phones and so on. The Fraunhofer Institute System and Innovation Research expects that globally, by 2030, production of gallium needs to be six times more than the existing production of nearly 720 tonnes every year. The metal is currently priced at US$797.40/kg (Strategic Metals Invest).

Germanium is used in high brightness LEDs, infra-red optics, fibre-optics, semi-conductors, and mobile phone lights. Moreover, It is used in solar panels and for night targeting and night vision. The metal is currently priced at US$2,954/kg (Strategic Metals Invest).

The share price of MTB was AU$0.002 on 08 May 2024.