West Perth, W.A.-Minemakers Ltd. said June 30 that benefication test work currently being carried out by Bateman Advanced Technologies Ltd. as part of a phosphate scoping study on the Namibian Phosphate Project has produced encouraging initial results. The company said that heavy liquid separation studies show that the phosphate-rich size fraction can be enriched up to 26 percent P2O5 from whole rock samples with an average grade of 18-21 percent P2O5 using standard gravity separation techniques. In addition, it said preliminary wet screening and attrition tests have shown trends favoring a slight improvement in the P2O5 concentrate grade, along with partial removal of the containment gangue, including iron, magnesium, aluminum, and insoluble matter, into the tailings from the phosphate rich-size fraction. Additional testing continues and the final Bateman report is expected in third quarter 2010.
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