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Services · Testwork & Feasibility

Prove your process works before you commit capital.

Bench-to-pilot metallurgical testwork, process simulation, mass & energy balances, and bankable feasibility studies. We take you from ore / feed characterisation to an investor-ready DFS with engineering handoff package.

What we deliver

Six offerings clients buy individually or as a packaged programme.

Bench-scale testwork

Batch and continuous trials in our lab — atmospheric / pressure leach, SX-EW rougher loadings, solvent screening, reagent optimisation. 15–500 g feed per variable. 4–8 weeks per campaign.

Pilot-scale integrated runs

15–200 kg integrated circuit campaigns — leach, solid-liquid separation, SX, EW / precipitation. Minimum 100-hour continuous operation to generate design data.

Process modelling & simulation

Rigorous unit-op modelling in HSC Chemistry, METSIM, and Aspen Plus. Kinetics, speciation, residence-time distribution, heat integration.

Mass & energy balance

Design-basis M&E balance with full PFD and preliminary P&ID set. Equipment sizing, utility loads, effluent summary, reagent schedules.

Techno-economic analysis

CAPEX (Class 3–4 AACE) and OPEX models with sensitivity on feed grade, reagent price, energy, and recovery. NPV, IRR, payback, breakeven analysis.

Bankable Feasibility Study

JORC / SAMREC / NI 43-101-aligned DFS / BFS reports for investor due diligence, debt financing, and board approval. Includes risk register and execution plan.

Our methodology

A structured 4-phase approach — predictable timelines, clear decision gates.

STEP 11–2 weeks

Scope & baseline

Kickoff, feed / ore characterisation (XRD, SEM-EDS, chemical assay), literature review, test matrix design.

STEP 24–8 weeks

Bench testwork

Parallel batch runs screening leach conditions, reagent types, kinetics. Statistical DoE where applicable.

STEP 34–10 weeks

Pilot campaign

Integrated circuit operation. Steady-state sampling. Data reconciliation. Equipment performance validation.

STEP 43–5 weeks

Report & model

Final technical report, M&E balance, PFD / P&ID package, TEA, financial model, risk register. Board-ready.

What you take home

Every engagement ends with an engineering handoff package that the next phase — FEED, EPC bid, debt lender, or internal board — can pick up and act on without further interpretation.

  • Assay certificates (CoA) for all feed, intermediate, and product streams
  • Process flow diagram (PFD) + preliminary P&ID set
  • Mass & energy balance (Excel-native, scenario-switchable)
  • Equipment list with preliminary sizing + duty
  • Process description document (what runs where, why)
  • CAPEX estimate (Class 3–4 AACE, ±20–30% accuracy)
  • OPEX model with reagent / energy / manpower / maintenance build-up
  • Financial model (NPV, IRR, payback, sensitivities)
  • Risk register with mitigation plan
  • Final DFS / BFS report (investor-ready)

Where we've done this

Metallurgical systems we have running testwork or feasibility programmes on.

Copper — SX-EW from oxide + sulphide concentrate
Nickel — laterite (HPAL / AL) + Class I refining
Battery black mass — hydromet recovery of Li / Ni / Co / Mn
Rare earths — NdFeB magnet recycling + primary monazite
Zinc — primary smelting + secondary dross + ash
Aluminium — dross + UBC + ICW secondary alloys
Lead — secondary smelting from ULAB
Gold / silver — precious metal recovery from PCBs

Ready to scope a testwork campaign?

A 30-minute scoping call is enough for us to understand your feed, goals, and timeline and come back with a proposal in 5 working days.

Book a scoping call