Problems on the Tabba Tabba Tantalite Project in Western Australia have forced Pilbara Minerals to suspend commissioning of the plant while an engineering assessment is undertaken by independent consulting engineers.
Mine and plant construction at the project was completed in November last year allowing wet commissioning to commence in December.
However, in a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange, the company said its operational team had "identified areas of the plant that require modification and rectification in order to allow it to run to optimal (design) levels. These include the ball mill and the coarse recovery section of the plant, namely the primary and secondary jigs."
Pilbara Minerals said it didn't consider the repairs and modifications needed to be major but was unable to provide an indication of the time frame for these works.
It said the plant was "designed, constructed, installed, and has until now been operated by the Company's former 50% joint venture partner in the project, Valdrew Nominees Pty Ltd, trading as Nagrom & Co".
The Tabba Tabba project is located about 75 km southeast of Port Hedland. Tantalum is mainly used in capacitors for smart phones, tablets and electronic systems for cars but also is used in superalloys for chemical and nuclear power plants and other industrial applications. The world tantalum market is relatively small at around 1300 t per year. Pilbara Minerals estimates Tabba Tabba will be able to supply around 10 percent of that market.
South of Tabba Tabba, Pilbara Minerals is also developing the Pilgangoora lithium-tantalum project.
Pilbara Minerals Executive Director Neil Biddle said the company hoped to resume commissioning Tabba Tabba as soon as possible but in the meantime would focus on Pilgangoora.
"As we announced recently, the Pilgangoora Feasibility Study has already commenced with the appointment of key consultants, a major resource upgrade is anticipated later this month, and Pre-Feasibility level financials are due in March ahead of the Feasibility Study by mid-year," he said.
The main quartz-pegmatite core at Tabba Tabba. Photo: Pilbara Minerals