Back to drawing board for Jaguar Nickel

After metallurgical testing on an atmospheric-pressure leaching system, Jaguar Nickel (JNI-T) has concluded the process would not be economic for the lateritic nickel at its Sechol project in the Lake Izabal region of Guatemala.

Jaguar had hoped that the process, which leaches nickel from laterite using a chloride solution, would have provided a low-cost extraction method for Sechol. It operates at atmospheric pressure, rather than the high pressures used in pressure acid leaching, and Jaguar had recognized its potential to reduce capital costs by bypassing costly autoclaves.

The capital cost of the plant had been estimated at US$306 million.

The Sechol laterites, however, have a high magnesium content, which diminishes the effectiveness of the process. Jaguar will retain its patent on the process against the day it can use it on low-magnesium nickel laterites or on nickel sulphide mineralization.

Jaguar’s next step at Sechol is to evaluate a proven extraction process. The company is also drilling the laterite and expects to come up with a new resource figure in the next two months. Estimates in March 2004 gave Sechol a measured and indicated resource of 37 million tonnes grading 1.4% nickel, based on a 1% nickel cutoff grade.