Blackstone Minerals will recommission the Ban Phuc nickel concentrator at its Ta Khoa nickel project in northern Vietnam to produce two batches of nickel concentrate.

Blackstone has been refurbishing the 450,000 tonnes per annum concentrator for the last six months. The crushing circuit was recommissioned in November, and the mill and flotation circuit will be recommissioned in January 2022.

The concentrator will be used in the Ta Khao refinery piloting programs. The first batch, approximately 10 tonnes of 8% nickel concentrate, will be sent to ALS Laboratories in Perth for treatment.

The second batch will be processed and stored for later use in the planned second phase pilot plant, which will be built in Son La next year. Blackstone plans to use this batch to test the milling and flotation performance of Ban Phuc disseminated sulphide.

Blackstone has also acquired an upstream pilot plant capable of treating 250 kilograms per hour. Blackstone will use this pilot facility to optimise flotation for the definitive feasibility study, and test pilot versions of process equipment.

The ability to treat the ore at the concentrator and subsequent pilot plants derisks both the upstream and downstream business development strategies, Blackstone Managing Director Scott Williamson said.

Phase 1 of the Pilot Plant will go through four trials, ending with concentrate feed averaging 10% nickel.

Phase 2 of the pilot plant aims to process one tonne per hour of concentrate.

Blackstone was granted approval this month to recommence mining at Ta Khao.