June 16,
2009
TSX:BAJ
PRESS
RELEASE
BAJA achieves key MILESTONE IN development of
manganese metal production AT BOLEO
VANCOUVER, B.C. - Baja Mining Corp. today announces that a key milestone
has been achieved towards manganese metal production at its Boleo project in
Baja, Mexico.
Staff at the University of
British Columbia's Hydrometallurgy Research Laboratory have successfully
demonstrated that manganese metal can be manufactured from Boleo manganese
carbonate using conventional hydrometallurgical processing steps. A sample of
manganese carbonate produced during the 2006 demonstration pilot plant at SGS
Lakefield was used as feedstock for the tests which were done under the
supervision of Dr. Thomas Gl�ck, Baja's Manager Process Technology and Dr.
David Dreisinger, Baja's Vice President-Metallurgy, a
Qualified Person under NI 43-101. All technical results have been verified by
Dr. Dreisinger.
The key features of the Boleo manganese metal process are:
�
Boleo
manganese carbonate is leached to greater than 99% efficiency in the manganese
leach solution (electrolyte from the manganese plating cell).
�
Minor
impurities present in solution are removed using sulfide precipitation and
clarification.
�
The
purified solution is electrolyzed in a
conventional manganese electrowinning cell. A smooth grey deposit of manganese
metal was plated over a six hour period at a current efficiency of 65%. This
represents typical commercial performance.
�
The
manganese metal is plated without the addition of selenium-a condition that
ensures a higher quality product
"Being able to produce
manganese metal without adding selenium will differentiate Boleo manganese
metal from the majority of the product available in the market," says Dr. Gl�ck. "This is
something our Korean partners are particularly interested in."
Says Baja President and CEO
John Greenslade: "Today's result provides added confidence in our ability
to produce manganese metal at Boleo once the copper, cobalt and zinc circuits
are up and running and could add significantly to the economics of the
project."
Boleo is the world's sixth
largest manganese deposit. Current Boleo mining and processing plans would
allow for the production of up to 100,000 tonnes (220 million pounds) of
manganese metal per year. Manganese metal is used in alloying applications in
the steel, aluminum and non ferrous alloy industries. Annual production of
manganese metal is estimated to be over 800,000 tonnes worldwide. The spot
price for electrolytic manganese metal containing selenium (manufactured in
China) is currently $1.00 per pound and the Boleo product would sell at a
premium to this price.
Further work on plating of
Boleo manganese is ongoing at UBC and with other development partners toward
the goal of producing a fully integrated flow sheet for converting Boleo
manganese carbonate to manganese metal in the most efficient way possible. This
ongoing work is being conducted as part of a Manganese Action Plan that is
overseen by the Minera y Metalurgica del Boleo (MMB) Manganese Action Committee
and includes the evaluation of alternate uses for Boleo manganese carbonate.
MMB is the Mexican subsidiary of Baja and a Korean Consortium, and 100% owner
of the Boleo project. The Manganese Action Committee is made up of nominated
representatives from Baja and the Korean Consortium. A next key milestone in
the Manganese Action Plan is the completion of a pre-feasibility study for
manganese metal production.
Baja is a Vancouver-based publicly traded company (TSX:BAJ) with a 70%
interest in the Boleo copper-cobalt-zinc-manganese project located near Santa
Rosalia, Baja California Sur, Mexico. A Korean syndicate holds the remaining
30%. Baja is the project operator. The target date for commissioning Boleo is
2012. A 2007 definitive feasibility study projected an average annual
production for the first four years of 56,000 tonnes of copper cathode, 1,500
tonnes of cobalt cathode and 20,000 tonnes of zinc sulphate. The project has
proven and probable reserves that support a mine life of more than 25 years.
Anticipated cash costs in the first five years are US$0.27 per pound of copper,
net of by-product credits for cobalt and zinc, and with no credit for
manganese.
ON
BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF
BAJA
MINING CORP.
"John
W. Greenslade"
JOHN
W. GREENSLADE, PRESIDENT
For
further information please contact John Greenslade, President, at (604)
685-2323