Post by Franko10 ™ on Sept 20, 2004 15:34:21 GMT -5
Great Western Minerals Group Ltd.
P.O. Box 69
Saskatoon, SK S7K 3K1
TSX VENTURE: GWG
USA OTC BB Symbol: GWMGF
CUSIP: 39141Y 10 3
December 18, 2002
HOIDAS LAKE METALLURGY-UPDATE
Gary Billingsley, President, reports that the Company has received further results from Sierra Mineral Management (“SMM”) related to the on-going metallurgical testwork of the Hoidas Lake rare earth mineralization. For the past year SMM has been engaged in carrying out bench-scale testing in order to develop an appropriate milling and separation process for treating the Hoidas Lake mineralization. SMM's mandate was to determine if there was an alternative treatment method for extracting the rare earth elements that was environmentally friendlier and at least as effective as conventional leaching methods, which use strong acid as a leaching agent. As previously reported, it was proven that certain non-toxic weak alkaline solvents resulted in just as high recovery of the rare earth elements as the strong acids.
In the latest round of tests, SMM experimented with: different methods of leaching; different “ore”-sizes related to fragmentation from blasting to additional crushing and grinding; and varying the solvents through the leach process, including using solvents generated by electro-chemical units. As a result of this testing, a preliminary flowsheet was designed for a process that in effect liberates 100% of the rare earth elements present in the rock. The process involves both heap and vat leaching with a portion of the leached material going through a grinding circuit. Weak alkaline solvents are used in conjunction with an electro-chemically generated finishing solvent to produce the high recoveries noted. Ion-exchange resin columns are used to recover the individual rare earth elements from solution. This flowsheet will be used to design and build a test plant on-site for processing an open-pit bulk sample.
SMM is currently sourcing and testing the ion-exchange resins used in extracting the individual rare earth elements and producing various rare earth products. A cost-benefit analysis is part of the testing to determine the costs associated with incremental increases in product purity compared to the increase in value of those higher-purity products. Ultimately the testing will provide projected capital and operating costs that will be verified at the bulk sample/test plant stage of development.
It should be noted that the proposed process uses locally-available, inexpensive reagents that management fully expects will greatly enhance the competitiveness of the Hoidas Lake project through lower operating costs.
The rare earth elements are critical to many energy-related applications designed to reduce the environmental impact of energy generation, including: automotive catalytic converters, diesel fuel additives, fuel cells, rechargeable batteries, hydrogen storage and permanent magnet motors.
The Hoidas Lake rare earth property, located in northern Saskatchewan, is 100%-owned by the Company.
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Great Western Minerals Group Ltd. is a diversified, Saskatchewan-based, Canadian mining exploration and development company exploring for diamonds, gold and rare earth elements.
For further information Gary Billingsley at 1 306 220 5377 or Len Willetts at 1 905 544 8502
GREAT WESTERN MINERALS GROUP LTD.
Gary Billingsley
President
The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept the responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the contents of the foregoing.
© 2004 Great Western Minerals Group Ltd.
P.O. Box 69
Saskatoon, SK S7K 3K1
TSX VENTURE: GWG
USA OTC BB Symbol: GWMGF
CUSIP: 39141Y 10 3
December 18, 2002
HOIDAS LAKE METALLURGY-UPDATE
Gary Billingsley, President, reports that the Company has received further results from Sierra Mineral Management (“SMM”) related to the on-going metallurgical testwork of the Hoidas Lake rare earth mineralization. For the past year SMM has been engaged in carrying out bench-scale testing in order to develop an appropriate milling and separation process for treating the Hoidas Lake mineralization. SMM's mandate was to determine if there was an alternative treatment method for extracting the rare earth elements that was environmentally friendlier and at least as effective as conventional leaching methods, which use strong acid as a leaching agent. As previously reported, it was proven that certain non-toxic weak alkaline solvents resulted in just as high recovery of the rare earth elements as the strong acids.
In the latest round of tests, SMM experimented with: different methods of leaching; different “ore”-sizes related to fragmentation from blasting to additional crushing and grinding; and varying the solvents through the leach process, including using solvents generated by electro-chemical units. As a result of this testing, a preliminary flowsheet was designed for a process that in effect liberates 100% of the rare earth elements present in the rock. The process involves both heap and vat leaching with a portion of the leached material going through a grinding circuit. Weak alkaline solvents are used in conjunction with an electro-chemically generated finishing solvent to produce the high recoveries noted. Ion-exchange resin columns are used to recover the individual rare earth elements from solution. This flowsheet will be used to design and build a test plant on-site for processing an open-pit bulk sample.
SMM is currently sourcing and testing the ion-exchange resins used in extracting the individual rare earth elements and producing various rare earth products. A cost-benefit analysis is part of the testing to determine the costs associated with incremental increases in product purity compared to the increase in value of those higher-purity products. Ultimately the testing will provide projected capital and operating costs that will be verified at the bulk sample/test plant stage of development.
It should be noted that the proposed process uses locally-available, inexpensive reagents that management fully expects will greatly enhance the competitiveness of the Hoidas Lake project through lower operating costs.
The rare earth elements are critical to many energy-related applications designed to reduce the environmental impact of energy generation, including: automotive catalytic converters, diesel fuel additives, fuel cells, rechargeable batteries, hydrogen storage and permanent magnet motors.
The Hoidas Lake rare earth property, located in northern Saskatchewan, is 100%-owned by the Company.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Great Western Minerals Group Ltd. is a diversified, Saskatchewan-based, Canadian mining exploration and development company exploring for diamonds, gold and rare earth elements.
For further information Gary Billingsley at 1 306 220 5377 or Len Willetts at 1 905 544 8502
GREAT WESTERN MINERALS GROUP LTD.
Gary Billingsley
President
The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept the responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the contents of the foregoing.
© 2004 Great Western Minerals Group Ltd.