Trekor Updates Status of Aley Niobium and Strengthens Project Team
Taseko Mines Limited (TKO) has provided a technical and commercial update on its wholly-owned Aley niobium project in northeastern British Columbia, highlighting the successful development of a proprietary flotation process that yields higher niobium recoveries and reduced reagent consumption. The company successfully produced market-grade ferroniobium using a new two-stage smelting process developed from pilot test materials and is now scaling up production for marketing initiatives and engagement with potential offtake parties.
To lead this effort, Steve Sparkowich was appointed as Director, Aley Niobium, to oversee technical development, market positioning, and commercial strategy. Sparkowich, a licensed Professional Metallurgical Engineer with over 30 years of experience in critical and refractory metals, will focus on connecting the project’s capabilities with major niobium-consuming customers, specifically steel mills, stainless steel producers, and superalloy manufacturers.
The Aley Project team has developed a proprietary flotation process that has been patented in the United States, Australia, Brazil, and Europe. This optimization resulted in higher niobium recoveries, improved concentrate grades, and significantly reduced reagent consumption. The resulting concentrate was sufficient to develop a two-stage smelting process, which successfully produced marketable ferroniobium. The team is currently evaluating opportunities to produce high-purity niobium oxide directly or via a third-party processor, including the development of a hydrometallurgical flowsheet.
Current efforts are focused on scaling up the pilot program to produce additional quantities of ferroniobium, shifting the project’s focus toward product marketing and engagement with potential offtake parties and processors.
Based on a NI 43-101 technical report, the Aley Project contains an estimated 84 million tonnes of proven and probable mineral reserves grading 0.50% Nb2O5. With a processing rate of 10,000 tonnes per day, the mine would have a production capacity of 14,000 tonnes of ferroniobium (nine million kilograms of contained niobium) per year over a 24-year mine life.
Stuart McDonald, President & CEO, stated: “Our technical team has done a great job improving Aley’s process flowsheet in recent years. We believe Aley has the potential to be a major new source of niobium, a designated critical mineral in Canada, the United States and Europe, and we look forward to advancing commercial and strategic discussions with niobium consumers seeking a reliable North American supply chain.”
Richard Tremblay, Chief Operating Officer, added: “We are excited to have Mr. Sparkowich join the Aley Project team. Niobium is a strategically important material for high-performance steels, stainless steels, niobium alloys, superalloys, emerging magnetic materials, superconductors, energy systems, and other critical technologies. Mr. Sparkowich’s deep technical knowledge of niobium and other critical metals will play a key role in advancing the flowsheet optimization, production plan development and market engagement and provide a strong foundation for customer qualification, and long-term commercial discussions.”
The technical information was reviewed and approved by Robert Rotzinger, P.Eng., Vice President, Capital Projects for Trekor Metals. The scientific and technical information is based on the "Technical Report on Mineral Reserves at the Aley Project, British Columbia, Canada" issued October 30, 2014, with an effective date of September 15, 2014, as amended and restated December 4, 2017.