Northern Cobalt Explores SE Vanadium Potential
Australia mining company Northern Cobalt Ltd. is exploring the potential to mine the rare element vanadium in southeast Alaska. Northern Cobalt has applied to the U.S. Forest Service for the proposed project on Snettisham Inlet in the Tongass National Forest about 35 miles southeast of Juneau. Vanadium is used in steel alloys, as well as rechargeable industrial batteries. There’s no active mining at the site now and the last work there was exploration for iron ore some years ago. In a release press release, the company reported recent tests demonstrate the potential to produce a high- grade magnetite product with vanadium credits: • A 63% Fe and 0.64% V2O5 concentrate (DTR) produced from surface samples • The recoveries were achieved using a very coarse grind size of 250 microns • The upcoming diamond drilling program, commencing in the second week of August, will test the grade and conti- nuity of high-grade mineralization and supply samples for further metallurgical test work In June Northern Cobalt released a geophysical exploration target for the Snettisham Project to assess the value of the
magnetite iron ore there in addition to vanadium. The company says metallurgical testing confirm the potential for Snettisham to produce a high-quality magnetite concentrate with signifi- cant vanadium credits at a very coarse grind size. The company release says the Snettisham Project contains several critical infrastructure requirements for processing a va- nadium-rich magnetite concentrate and exporting it to market: • Proximity to cheap electricity to undertake magnetic sep- aration and operation of grinding facilities, a high voltage transmission line and several existing and proposed hydro- power projects nearby. • Access to bulk material handling and transport facilities to move the concentrate to steel markets in either the USA or China, deep water channel adjacent to the project. • Access to an experienced mining workforce to support year-round operations. The Forest Service is reviewing the company’s application.
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www.alaskaminers.org I The Alaska Miner I August 2019
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