Right Resources has reported an 87.3% tungsten recovery from initial rougher flotation testwork on material from the Blue Tungsten Prospect, located approximately 22km north of Tumbarumba in New South Wales.

The sighter test programme demonstrated that the scheelite mineralisation responds effectively to conventional flotation. The leading test achieved a rougher concentrate grading 27.0% tungsten trioxide at an 87.3% recovery rate, with only 1.6% of the original feed mass reporting to the concentrate. In practical terms, approximately 87% of the contained tungsten was concentrated into less than 2kg of material for every 100kg of test feed processed.

All four initial sighter tests yielded tungsten trioxide recoveries between 85.2% and 87.3% across two grind sizes and two collector systems, indicating a consistent response rather than a isolated result. The leading performance was generated directly from whole ore without prior gravity pre-concentration, using the Aero 726 and Aero 845 collector combination at a coarser grind size of approximately P80 180 micrometres, which suggests fine grinding may not be necessary to achieve effective separation.

“These are encouraging first-pass results from a deliberately limited sighter programme. Recovering 87.3% of the tungsten into 1.6% of the feed mass demonstrates a strong flotation response and gives us a clear basis for the next stage of work.

Importantly, flotation is not being considered in isolation. Together with the earlier density-separation results, it gives us two complementary methods to assess as we move into larger and more representative testwork.”

— Graham Howard, Managing Director

The flotation results complement previous Heavy Liquid Separation testwork announced on 5 August 2026, which achieved an 81.6% tungsten recovery at a concentrate grade of 66.5% tungsten trioxide on the same composite surface sample returning a head assay of 0.48% tungsten trioxide. The company is advancing confirmation and cleaner flotation testwork as part of its ongoing metallurgical programme.

Right Resources also plans to commence an approximately 3,000-metre air core and reverse circulation drilling programme at the Blue Tungsten Prospect in the third quarter of 2026, alongside a larger-scale testwork programme scoped at approximately 250kg of sample to evaluate an integrated gravity and flotation flowsheet.

Read the full announcement: Blue Tungsten Flotation Testwork Delivers 87.3% Recovery