This report documents the processing-related work completed for the Karakul polymetallic project through to mid-2014, covering historical metallurgical testwork, a 2006 pre-feasibility study and 2013 confirmatory testwork.
Report context
This NI 43-101 Technical Report was prepared for Global Cobalt Corporation in June 2014, covering the Karakul Property and adjacent satellite occurrences (including the Three Sister satellite licences) in the Republic of Altai, Russian Federation. The report summarises the mineral processing and metallurgical testing work carried out by different operators from the Kurai Expedition (1973-1985) through AltaiRudaMetall LLC (2006-2009) to recent confirmatory test work completed by SGS in 2013. The processing sections presented below are drawn directly from the June 2014 technical report.
Processing route
Introduction to metallurgical testwork
The processing information contained within the June 2014 technical report is presented primarily as a summary of metallurgical testwork completed by successive operators. The report describes the mineralisation as polymetallic in nature, with the processing testwork focused on determining appropriate recovery methods for the contained metals. No full commercial processing facility design or operating plant data is presented; rather the report relies on scoping-level testwork and a pre-feasibility study completed in 2006.
Work carried out during the Kurai Expedition (1973-1985)
The Kurai Expedition, which operated from 1973-1977 and 1978-1985, carried out initial metallurgical investigations on the Karakul mineralisation. The June 2014 report notes this work was part of the broader exploration programme, though detailed results from this historical work are not reproduced within the processing sections. The technical report treats this work as part of the historical data for the property.
TEO (2006) pre-feasibility study
A key milestone in process development was the completion of a pre-feasibility study, referred to as the TEO (2006). This study considered the processing options for the Karakul mineralisation and established the basis for subsequent testwork. The TEO was completed during the AltaiRudaMetall LLC period of tenure (2006-2009) and forms the design basis reference point for the current project understanding. The report does not provide the detailed flowsheet from the TEO but treats it as a defining study for later work.
Exploration programme (2007)
During the AltaiRudaMetall LLC period, a further exploration programme was undertaken in 2007. This programme included additional sampling and testing components designed to support the ongoing metallurgical work. The June 2014 report references this programme but does not present separate process design details from this phase of work.
SGS testwork (2013)
The most recent processing-related work reported is a programme of confirmatory metallurgical testwork completed by SGS in 2013. This testwork was commissioned to verify the findings of earlier work and to provide additional data to support the project's resource estimate. The report presents this work as the most current processing information available for the project at the time of writing in June 2014.
Key reported parameters
The following parameters are drawn from the processing sections of the June 2014 technical report. Where the report distinguishes between design and actual/testwork values, this has been noted in the basis column.
| Parameter | Value | Unit | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metallurgical testwork programme | SGS confirmatory | , | Design (2013 testwork) |
| Pre-feasibility study | TEO completed | , | Design (2006) |
| Historical exploration period | 1973-1985 | years | Historical operating data |
| Recent exploration period | 2006-2009 | years | Testwork (AltaiRudaMetall) |
| Processing testwork type | Scoping / confirmatory | , | Testwork programme |
Project website: https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/metals-and-mining/global-cobalt-reports-on-western-zone-results-of-the-karakul-cobalt-project-413409
Technical qualifications
The June 2014 technical report identifies specific limitations within the processing information:
- The detailed results and methodology of the Kurai Expedition metallurgical work are not fully reproduced in the report, and this historical data should be treated with appropriate caution given the period in which it was generated.
- The TEO (2006) pre-feasibility study is referenced as a defining study, but the report does not include the complete flowsheet or mass balance information from that study. Any design basis derived from the TEO should be verified against the original study documentation.
- The 2013 SGS testwork is described as confirmatory in nature and should be viewed as verification of earlier findings rather than an independent design-level test programme. Users of the report should be aware that further testwork may be required to progress to a definitive feasibility level of confidence.
- The processing data presented does not include any measured or indicated resource recovery factors, as the project remains at the exploration and resource definition stage with no mineral reserve estimates reported.
- No economic assessment of the processing options is presented within the report, other than that which may have been included in the 2006 TEO reference.
Source: Global Cobalt Corporation, NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Karakul Property and Adjacent Satellite Occurrences, Republic of Altai, Russian Federation, June 2014, Sections 13 and 17.
