TVI Pacific plans nickel processing plant

MANILA, Philippines - Canadian miner TVI Pacific Inc. is planning to put up a nickel processing plant next year using a cost-effective extraction technology.

The company is currently testing the use of atmospheric tank leaching (ATL) technology, which would be more cost effective than the high presssure acid leach (HPAL) technology commonly used by nickel producers.

“High pressure acid leaching ususally comes with a high capital expenditure due to more complex technological requirements,” said Kaycee Crisostomo, the spokesman of TVI Pacific’s local arm TVI Resource Development (Phils.) Inc.

ATL requires a lower pressure needed for acid leaching compared to HPAL.

He said the new nickel extraction technology is done in preparation for the construction of a nickel processing plant sometime next year.

The company is currently testing ATL on nickel laterite ore obtained from its Agata mine in Agusan.

The company has commissioned a research laboratory in Beijing and has set up two pilot testing plants in Manila to confirm the results. 

“We are extremely pleased with the results,” said TVI Pacific chairman and CEO Cliff M. James.

He said the tests achieved a high rate of nickel extraction at a low acid consumption.

“The process being developed could position the proposed Agata nickel processing plant among the lower cost producers,” said James.

TVIRD is operating the Agata mine in Agusan del Norte through a joint venture with Mindoro Resources Development Ltd. (MRL). The province is a major nickel-producing region providing ore to processing plants in Australia, China, Korea and Japan.

In 2012, TVI and MRL signed four joint venture agreements relating to the  Agata and Pan de Azucar mining projects located in the islands of Mindanao and Panay, respectively.