News

June 05, 2008

Alexander Mining Hopes To Make Its Fortune Out Of Technology Rather Than Mining

By Charles Wyatt

Whenever the subject of Alexander Mining crops up it is as well to remember the Activox ® technology developed by LionOre Mining International as it was this that was the real prize sought by Xstrata when it bid successfully for the company last year. Activox® was essentially a modified high pressure acid leach system, which produced an intermediate product which needs no smelting and can be sent direct to the refinery, thus lowering costs. Bright companies are always trying to achieve breakthroughs in existing technology to overcome metallurgical problems and AIM listed Alexander Mining looks as if it may have come up with twin successes through AmmLeachTM and HyperLeachTM. AmmLeach is an innovative new ammonia based mineral processing technology developed to overcome problems detected during feasibility work on the copper oxide deposit at its Leon project in Argentina, and HyperLeach is a new process for the extraction of base metals from sulphidic ores and concentrates.

LionOre had developed the Activox technology at its Tati nickel project in Botswana and in 2005 it acquired the Bulong nickel project plant assets in Western Australia. The assets purchased for A$15 million included the Bulong nickel processing plant and associated equipment. The aim was to use the new  technology at Bulong to unlock value in nickel sulphides as Colin Steyn, the boss of LionOre, reckoned that Western Australia was full of ‘dirty nickel...