Wildcat Resources (ASX: WC8) has ticked off another milestone at its flagship Tabba Tabba Lithium Project in WA, with the completion of its Preliminary Feasibility Study (PFS) metallurgical program. The results are in — and they’re outstanding.
The Phase 2 whole-of-ore flotation testwork has returned results that not only back up the earlier Phase 1 work but demonstrate excellent consistency across different zones of the deposit. A standout result was a spodumene concentrate grading 5.60% Li₂O from a 1.01% Li₂O ore feed, with 84.5% overall recovery.
Digging deeper into the Leia pegmatite — the core of the resource — testwork on spatial variability samples delivered:
- 5.66% Li₂O concentrate from a 1.13% feed, at 81.6% recovery
- 5.77% Li₂O concentrate from a 1.58% feed, at 83.5% recovery
These results came from using a coarser grind size (P80 180µm), which helps minimise slimes losses — a clever tweak that could lead to lower operating costs in future processing.
Meanwhile, comminution testing revealed low variability in ore hardness, with values ranging between 15.86 and 17.55 kWh/t. That kind of consistency will make plant design a lot more straightforward — a quiet win in project de-risking.
With $63.6 million in the bank as of 31 December 2024, Wildcat is wasting no time pushing ahead. The company has now kicked off its Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) metallurgical testwork, with a few key focuses:
- Scaled-up bulk flotation tests using larger 40L cells to refine kinetics and flotation times
- Ore sorting trials to cut down on mafic waste and streamline processing
- Comminution and mineralogical studies to better understand ore behaviour and improve geometallurgical models
- Site water testing, confirming the suitability of untreated groundwater for flotation and optimising water quality strategies
Managing Director AJ Saverimutto summed it up:
“Completion of the variability testwork program is a significant derisking milestone. The consistency of high recoveries and concentrate grades from across the orebody gives us real confidence in the flowsheet we’ve selected.”
As Wildcat moves toward DFS territory, it’s clear the company is building a technically robust, capital-efficient project with plenty of upside. With strong grades, solid recoveries, and smart metallurgy behind it, Tabba Tabba continues to shape up as a serious contender in the lithium space.
