Antimony

Antimony (Sb) is a metal with a wide variety of industrial applications and is present in many products in everyday use. Antimony metal prices have risen from a 20 year low of around US$1,000 per tonne in 2001 to over US$15,000 per tonne in 2011 (significantly higher than lead, zinc and copper).

Northwest’s high-grade Blue Spec and Golden Spec deposits contain between approximately 1-2% antimony. Northwest has a current antimony JORC Mineral Resource of 9,000 t and there exists significant potential to expand this resource.

The price paid for antimony concentrates by Chinese and US smelters varies between 35-50% of the antimony metal price. The antimony concentrate produced during previous treatment of Blue Spec Shear ore contained approximately 60% antimony with very low impurities.

The production of antimony as a by-product of gold processing has the potential to be a valuable source of additional revenue for the Nullagine Gold & Antimony Project.

There is currently robust demand for antimony concentrates from smelters in USA, Europe, China and India.   Northwest has had preliminary discussions with a number of parties interested in securing off-take rights to antimony by-production from the Nullagine Gold & Antimony Project.

In 2010 the European Commission identified antimony as one of the 14 minerals critical to European industry which are facing supply challenges.

Please click here for Northwest’s Antimony Factsheet.

 

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