Hawsons Iron has confirmed its ability to upgrade magnetite concentrate to a premium 69.3% iron grade through bulk-scale elutriation testwork, significantly reducing impurities and enhancing potential revenue streams.
- Elutriation raises iron grade from 67.8% to 69.3% Fe
- Silica and alumina impurities cut by 39% and 28%
- Premium concentrate supports improved project economics
- Elutriation included in updated Pre-Feasibility Study flowsheet
- Further optimisation planned for Feasibility Study
Bulk Elutriation Testwork Validates Premium Concentrate Potential
Hawsons Iron Limited (ASX:HIO) has delivered compelling metallurgical results with bulk-scale elutriation testwork upgrading its magnetite concentrate from 67.8% to 69.3% iron. This physical separation process also slashed key impurities, including silica by 39% and alumina by 28%, underscoring the premium quality of the Hawsons product and its potential to command higher market premiums.
The improved grade and reduced gangue components come without additional mining or processing costs, as elutriation is applied at the final stage of concentrate production. This suggests a pathway to enhanced revenue and operating margins, pending validation through large-scale testwork and economic assessment.
Strategic Importance of Premium Iron Ore
Managing Director Tom Revy highlighted the strategic value of these findings amid a steel industry increasingly focused on productivity, energy efficiency, and emissions reduction. A concentrate approaching 70% Fe with very low phosphorus and other impurities aligns with growing demand for high-grade feedstock that supports lower energy consumption and reduced carbon intensity in steelmaking.
Hawsons’ concentrate also offers advantages over typical hematite products, including higher direct reduced iron (DRI) productivity, better suitability for hydrogen-based DRI, and lower embedded CO₂ emissions. These attributes position Hawsons favorably in a market where green steel certification and reduced exposure to carbon border adjustment mechanisms are gaining importance.
Integration into Project Development and Next Steps
The elutriation process has been incorporated into the Company’s updated Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) flowsheet, with the latest bulk-scale program confirming its effectiveness. The testwork used bulk magnetite concentrate produced from drill core samples processed at ALS in Perth, ensuring representative sampling across the deposit.
Hawsons plans to fine-tune elutriation operating parameters during the upcoming Feasibility Study, aiming to optimise product quality, recovery, and overall project economics. This optimisation will feed into the broader process flowsheet refinement, supporting the Company’s goal of delivering a premium magnetite concentrate to market.
Robust Geological and Sampling Foundation
The announcement includes detailed geological context and sampling data compliant with the 2012 JORC Code. The Hawsons deposit, located 65km southwest of Broken Hill in western New South Wales, consists of magnetite-rich siltstones within folded Neoproterozoic stratigraphy. Extensive core drilling and sampling underpin the metallurgical testwork, ensuring confidence in the representativeness of the results.
This comprehensive technical foundation supports the Company’s assertion that Hawsons can produce a very-high-grade, low-impurity magnetite concentrate suitable for premium iron ore markets.
Bottom Line?
Hawsons’ elutriation testwork confirms a premium concentrate upgrade that could materially enhance project value, with further optimisation ahead in the Feasibility Study.
Questions in the middle?
- How will large-scale variability testing impact the consistency of the upgraded concentrate grade?
- What economic uplift can be expected once elutriation benefits are fully integrated into project cash flow models?
- How will global steelmakers’ demand for low-impurity magnetite evolve amid tightening emissions regulations?