McLaren Validates 26% Solids Thickening, Enabling Full Slimes Co-Disposal
McLaren Minerals has successfully validated its slimes management strategy for the McLaren Titanium Project, confirming conventional mineral sands techniques can effectively handle tailings and slimes. This milestone significantly reduces development risk and supports the final engineering phase.
- Metallurgical test work confirms effective thickening and dewatering of slimes
- Gypsum identified as optimal water conditioner for settling and clarification
- Co-disposal of 100% slimes with coarse tails validated
- Test results support simplified, lower-risk plant design
- Final engineering phase underway based on validated design assumptions
Background and Context
McLaren Minerals Limited (ASX – MML) has announced a pivotal advancement in the development of its McLaren Titanium Project located in Western Australia's Eucla Basin. The company recently completed a comprehensive metallurgical test work program, conducted by IHC Mining and SciDev, aimed at validating its approach to managing slimes and tailings; a critical aspect of mineral sands processing.
Key Findings from Metallurgical Testing
The test work confirmed that slimes, the fine mineral particles often challenging to manage, can be effectively thickened, dewatered, and co-disposed alongside coarse tails using conventional mineral sands techniques. Notably, the use of low-grade gypsum as a water conditioning agent delivered superior results in terms of settling rates, dewatering efficiency, and water clarity.
Operational performance metrics were also encouraging. Thickened slimes achieved solids concentrations around 26%, with pumping and rake operations meeting design standards without issues. This suggests that the plant design assumptions regarding slimes handling are robust and achievable in practice.
Implications for Project Development
These outcomes significantly de-risk the McLaren project by validating the technical feasibility of the slimes management strategy. The ability to co-dispose 100% of slimes with coarse tails simplifies the tailings infrastructure and reduces complexity in plant design. This streamlining is expected to lower capital and operational risks, providing a more straightforward path toward project execution.
With these results, McLaren is now advancing into the final phase of engineering design, incorporating refined parameters for thickener sizing, flocculant dosing, and tailings handling. Further test work is planned to confirm performance under site-specific water conditions and to support long-term environmental and operational planning.
Strategic Significance
McLaren’s Managing Director, Simon Finnis, highlighted the importance of these findings, noting that the validation of the slimes strategy provides confidence in the project’s development pathway. Given titanium’s status as a critical mineral for aerospace, defence, and energy sectors, the McLaren Titanium Project’s progress is of strategic interest to investors and industry watchers alike.
While the company has not disclosed financial metrics or timelines, the technical validation marks a key milestone that could accelerate project advancement and enhance McLaren’s positioning in the mineral sands sector.
Bottom Line?
With slimes management validated, McLaren Minerals is poised to advance its titanium project with reduced technical risk and clearer engineering direction.
Questions in the middle?
- How will site-specific water conditions affect slimes thickening and tailings management?
- What are the expected timelines for completing the final engineering and moving toward construction?
- How might these technical advances influence McLaren’s financing and market valuation?