Podium’s Concentrator Achieves 80% 3E Recovery and 50x Grade Upgrade
Podium Minerals has unveiled a breakthrough concentrator flowsheet for its Parks Reef Project, achieving approximately 80% recovery of platinum, palladium, and gold from bulk sulphide ore. This innovation promises to unlock multiple commercial pathways and de-risk project development amid tightening global PGM markets.
- Concentrator achieves ~80% recovery of platinum, palladium, and gold (3E)
- Produces two high-grade PGM products with ultra-low chrome content
- Utilizes proven flotation and hydrometallurgical processes tailored to Parks Reef
- Enables flexible commercial options – direct sales, toll refining, blending
- Sets platform for scale-up testing and further optimization
A Metallurgical Breakthrough at Parks Reef
Podium Minerals Limited (ASX, POD) has announced a significant advancement in the development of its Parks Reef Project in Western Australia. The company’s newly developed concentrator flowsheet has demonstrated approximately 80% recovery of the key precious metals platinum, palladium, and gold (collectively known as 3E) from bulk sulphide ore during laboratory-scale testing. This breakthrough marks a pivotal step in unlocking the value of one of Australia’s largest platinum group metal (PGM) resources.
The concentrator employs a two-stage process combining conventional flotation techniques with a novel hydrometallurgical circuit. This dual approach recovers both floating and non-floating PGMs, producing two discrete high-grade concentrate products. Notably, the flotation concentrate boasts an ultra-low chrome content (~0.12%), enhancing its compatibility with existing PGM refineries and potentially easing downstream processing challenges.
Robust Performance and Strategic Flexibility
Lab-scale trials have exceeded Podium’s initial targets, delivering a fifty-fold upgrade in concentrate grade relative to the feed ore. The flotation circuit alone recovers over half of the 3E metals at a high grade, while the PGM Value Recovery Circuit extracts the remaining metals from flotation tailings through magnetic separation, cyanide leaching, and activated carbon extraction. This innovative recovery circuit is particularly noteworthy as it taps into non-floating PGM fractions often lost in conventional processing.
Executive Chairman Rod Baxter highlighted the strategic implications of this development, emphasizing the concentrator’s adaptability and the range of commercial pathways it opens. Podium can pursue direct concentrate sales, toll refining arrangements, or blending with established producers’ product streams. This flexibility is crucial in a market characterized by tightening PGM supply, rising prices, and increasing demand for secure, reliable sources outside traditional jurisdictions.
Positioning Podium as a Leader in the PGM Sector
The breakthrough comes at a time when platinum and palladium markets are experiencing persistent deficits, with platinum prices recently hitting decade highs. Podium’s ability to produce high-grade, market-ready products from Parks Reef positions it well to capitalize on these favorable market dynamics. The company’s use of proven, de-risked technologies tailored to the unique mineralogy of Parks Reef further strengthens its development prospects.
Looking ahead, Podium plans to advance the concentrator flowsheet through larger scale batch-continuous testing and further metallurgical optimization. These steps aim to confirm laboratory results at scale, refine product specifications, and enhance overall project value. The company’s commitment to responsible development and stakeholder value underpins this next phase.
Unlocking Downstream Opportunities
Beyond immediate recovery improvements, the concentrator’s design offers potential downstream benefits. The production of two distinct concentrate products with differing characteristics could enable Podium to tailor its market approach dynamically. This versatility may attract strategic partners and elevate Podium’s status as a preferred collaborator within Australia’s multi-metal PGM value chain.
Podium’s upcoming investor webinar will provide further insights into this milestone and outline the company’s development roadmap. As the project progresses, market participants will be watching closely to see how these metallurgical advances translate into commercial success.
Bottom Line?
Podium’s concentrator breakthrough sets the stage for accelerated Parks Reef development amid a tightening global PGM market.
Questions in the middle?
- How will Podium scale laboratory results to commercial production levels?
- What are the potential timelines and costs associated with pilot plant testing?
- Which commercial pathways, direct sales, toll refining, or blending, will Podium prioritize?