Hawsons Iron (ASX:HIO) is advancing its namesake project in New South Wales by collating engineering and cost data for an updated Prefeasibility Study (PFS). Recent testwork findings support the use of a 100% dry processing circuit, a move the company calls a significant project enhancement. This approach is expected to simplify operations, reduce costs, and offer a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional methods. The company has also completed a resource variability study, engaging Stantec to prepare a project report to support further investigation into potential secondary products and optimize mine design, processing, and logistics.
The project report will serve as the foundation for defining a maiden reserve and delivering the updated PFS. CEO Tom Revy emphasizes the importance of these results for cost optimization and informed decision-making as Hawsons aims to finalize the process flow sheet by the end of the year. Hawsons plans to co-dispose mine waste with dry processing waste as part of a sustainable project waste management program. The next phase will involve piloting the material through GEBR Pfeiffer’s test facility in Germany, which will help in defining the project’s final process design criteria and completing a Definitive Feasibility Study. The Hawsons Iron Project, located 70km from Broken Hill, hosts 4.4 billion tonnes of soft magnetite ore.
