EV Resources has validated a flotation-led processing route at its Tecomatlán Plant, achieving 81.1% antimony recovery and concentrate grades up to 62.9% Sb, enabling a low-CAPEX upgrade and a compressed production timeline.
- Flotation test work achieves 81.1% antimony recovery
- Concentrate grades up to 62.9% Sb exceed smelter specs
- Preferred flotation route leverages existing plant infrastructure
- Environmental permitting underway with expected 6-8 month approval
- Production pathway timeline compressed to 10-12 months
Flotation Unlocks Major Recovery Gains at Tecomatlán
EV Resources (ASX:EVR) has delivered a significant technical breakthrough for its Tecomatlán Processing Plant in Mexico, confirming that a flotation-led flowsheet recovers 81.1% of antimony from third-party Chinantla ore. This recovery rate nearly triples that of gravity concentration alone, which managed just 29.25%. The flotation concentrate grades up to 62.9% antimony, comfortably exceeding typical smelter specifications and positioning the company to produce commercial-grade material.
This test work not only establishes flotation as the superior processing route but also validates a low-capital expenditure upgrade path. The Tecomatlán Plant already houses flotation cells that have never been utilised, meaning EVR can integrate and commission these with minimal additional investment. The company estimates the incremental CAPEX to be just a fraction of building a new gravity and flotation plant.
Optimised Processing Route and Permitting Progress
Comparative metallurgical testing evaluated three routes: gravity concentration alone, gravity plus flotation of tailings, and bulk flotation. Bulk flotation outperformed both alternatives with an 81.1% recovery and a concentrate grade of 42.4% Sb on feed grading 13.36%. Further upgrading tests pushed concentrate grades to 62.9% Sb, demonstrating strong potential for optimisation.
EVR has commenced environmental permitting for the flotation circuit, with its consultant preparing the Preventive Environmental Report (Informe Preventivo), a precursor to the full environmental impact assessment (MIA). The permitting process is expected to take approximately seven months and will run concurrently with plant refurbishment and flotation circuit integration, compressing the overall timeline to 10-12 months to production.
Strategic Implications for Regional Antimony Supply
The flotation upgrade supports EVR’s hub-and-spoke strategy to establish Tecomatlán as a regional processing hub for antimony ore, including third-party feedstock like Chinantla, which is expected to supply at least half of the plant’s nameplate capacity. This approach offers regional miners a closer, lower-cost processing alternative to trucking ore 800km to distant smelters, enhancing the economics of lower-grade material.
Given the acute global supply constraints for antimony and rising demand in defence and high-tech sectors, EVR’s pathway adds one of the few new antimony production options in North America. The flotation circuit’s flexibility also provides operational optionality to process variable ore types, including the company’s flagship Los Lirios project material, which has demonstrated very high recoveries using gravity alone.
Next Steps and Market Positioning
EVR plans to advance cleaner flotation circuit optimisation to further increase concentrate grade without sacrificing recovery. Confirmatory metallurgical testing on other third-party feedstock sources is underway alongside progressing definitive supply agreements and offtake discussions. The company’s Managing Director Mike Brown emphasised the milestone nature of the results, highlighting minimal CAPEX increases and schedule impacts relative to previous plans.
While the flotation upgrade is a clear technical win, execution hinges on timely permitting approvals and securing feedstock contracts. The company’s integrated approach to plant refurbishment and environmental permitting aims to mitigate these risks and accelerate near-term production, reinforcing EVR’s position amid tightening antimony supply chains.
Bottom Line?
EV Resources’ flotation upgrade sharply improves antimony recovery with low CAPEX and a compressed timeline, but success depends on navigating permitting and feedstock agreements.
Questions in the middle?
- Will EVR secure binding feedstock contracts to fully utilise Tecomatlán’s capacity?
- Can the flotation circuit’s high recoveries be consistently replicated at commercial scale?
- How will evolving global antimony supply constraints impact EVR’s market positioning?