Great article on the process....

take a close look at the following, the work will take longer and cost more....

HYDROMETALLURGICAL PILOT PLANT

After the hydrometallurgical process is fully defined at the bench scale, pilot plant testing will be required. In order to secure access to the SGS facilities later this fall, a contract was signed with SGS for the design and operation of a hydrometallurgical pilot plant. The estimated cost for this work is $7.5 million, approximately $5.5 million higher than originally forecast by Avalon last year before the full scope of work was known.

Since the prefeasibility study was completed last year, it has become evident that this work will take longer than anticipated to complete to the high level of confidence required for a bankable feasibility study. The extra time and complexity of the process will result in considerable additional costs but will also ensure a more robust process is developed and reduced operational risk in the future. The whole operation is expected to take about 40 weeks to complete, finishing by mid-2012.

Preparation for the hydrometallurgical pilot plant work is commencing immediately with the design of the system and bench scale tests. Initiatives to accelerate the acquisition of sufficient concentrate are underway along with sourcing of the required equipment. It is also now clear that the hydrometallurgical pilot will require up to 4 tonnes of mineral concentrate feed.