General News
8 September, 2024
Sand tests trigger bid to access farmlands
FALCON Metals wants to access land in the Mysia district to test the extent of mineral sands. The company last Thursday told the Australian Stock Exchange that a preliminary metallurgical assessment confirmed its high-grade Farrelly Mineral Sands...
FALCON Metals wants to access land in the Mysia district to test the extent of mineral sands.
The company last Thursday told the Australian Stock Exchange that a preliminary metallurgical assessment confirmed its high-grade Farrelly Mineral Sands Deposit had favourable metallurgical characteristics with no notable processing issues.
Falcon, with exploration licences for gold in the Boort and Pyramid Hill districts, in May flagged its interest in advancing mineral sands exploration at Mysia.
Landowners in the area told the Loddon Herald they would hold neighbourhood talks this week before responding to the latest Falcon announcement.
“Planning for further drilling underway to determine the extent of the deposit - expected to commence in quarter four 2024 subject to land access, cropping and ground conditions,” Falcon told the ASX.
Managing director Tim Markwell said: “It is still early days for the high-grade Farrelly discovery, however it is highly encouraging to see the sighter test confirming the deposit is amenable to conventional processing methods without any notable issues.
“It is also pleasing that the slimes are easily separated from the heavy minerals and settle well using conventional methods, and that the grain size is considered coarser than is often the case with other Victorian deposits, which should translate to a streamlined flow sheet,” Mr Markwell said.
“With no major material processing issues identified in the scope of the test work to date, Falcon’s focus will return to continuing exploration to determine just how large this deposit is.”
Falcon said earlier testing showed the sand fraction component comprised 47.5 per cent of the composite sample mass.
The company said it was at an advanced stage of planning for the extensional drilling program in the final months of 2024.
The Mysia area was included in the revised VNI West route when Australian Energy Market Operator switched the proposed renewable enery transmission line route to Stawell-Kerang through the Loddon Shire after previous options had the line running from Bendigo to Kerang through Prairie.
Many farmers in the Mysia district were part of early protests against VNI West and local farmer Sue Gould was appointed to a Victorian Farmers’ Federation taskforce on renewable energy.