EQR Progresses Regional Tungsten Hub Strategy
Released
Released
Announcement PDF
resourcing the new economy for a better tomorrow
13 June 2025
EQR PROGRESSES REGIONAL TUNGSTEN HUB STRATEGY –
PRELIMINARY XRT SORTING RESULTS AT WOLFRAM CAMP DELIVER
86% TUNGSTEN RECOVERY AND 16 TIMES UPGRADE
EQ Resources Ltd is a global tungsten producer with mining activities in Australia and Spain.
Highlights:
Wolfram Camp ore and waste stockpiles tested: two bulk samples - WBS Parrot (ore stockpile)
and WBS Combined (waste composite) - were screened and X-ray sorted to assess upgrade
potential and recovery performance.
Strong tungsten upgrade from ore stockpile achieving 86% tungsten recovery from just 5-10%
of the original feed mass, demonstrating excellent de-bulking and upgrade potential.
Unlocking value in waste stockpiles with waste composite sample revealing 0.10% WO₃ head
grade, with 75% of contained tungsten in fines.
Advanced XRT Sorting validated through collaboration with testing delivered in partnership with
TOMRA Sorting Solutions and the University of Queensland’s Sustainable Minerals Institute and
supported by a $250,000 Queensland METS grant.
Preliminary results confirm the technical viability of surface stockpile reprocessing, leveraging
Mt Carbine’s success and working to establish a regional tungsten hub. These results
potentially provide a pathway to low-impact resource recovery through sensor-based sorting
technology that unlocks additional value from historical material.
EQ Resources Limited (the “Company” or “EQR”) is pleased to report preliminary results from bulk sample
testing conducted at the Wolfram Camp Project in Far North Queensland. The testing program included
screening, sizing, assaying, and advanced X-Ray Technology (XRT) ore sorting, and was delivered in
collaboration with TOMRA Sorting Solutions’ technical team, and researchers from The University of
Queensland’s Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI).
The trial forms part of a program supported by a A$250,000 grant from the Queensland METS Collaborative
Projects Fund and is conducted under an Exploration Permit for Minerals (EPM) granted to EQ Resources
through the Queensland Government’s Abandoned Mine Lands Program, as previously announced.
REGISTERED OFFICE: Suite 2, Level 11, 385 Bourke Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000
PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS: 6888 Mulligan Highway, Mt Carbine Qld 4871
POSTAL ADDRESS: PO Box 1496, Mareeba Qld 4880
ABN: 77 115 009 106 (ASX: EQR)
T: (07) 4094 3072 | F: (07) 4094 3036 | W: eqresources.com.au
resourcing the new economy for a better tomorrow
Leveraging EQ Resources' Proven Success in Sorting Technology
EQR has been a leader in refining Tungsten XRT sorting technology at its Mt Carbine mine in Australia and
Saloro operations in Spain - providing valuable insights for the broader industry.
At Mt Carbine, EQR has implemented multiple TOMRA XRT ore sorters, achieving WO₃ recoveries exceeding
95%. Sorting technology has enabled mass yields of 10-12% from low-grade stockpiles, demonstrating the
power of pre-concentration strategies that optimize costs, energy use, and environmental impact. Mt Carbine
successfully re-started operations in 2020 by reprocessing historical tailings and low-grade stockpiles,
transforming over 12 million tonnes of previously uneconomic material into a viable resource through the
application of advanced sorting technology.
Similarly, at Saloro’s Barruecopardo mine, ongoing investments in XRT sorting have expanded processing
capacity by 50%, significantly improving tungsten separation efficiency. The introduction of a third XRT Ore
sorter is being installed and will increase recoveries and throughput, achieving +90% scheelite recovery, while
discarding 85-90% of host rock before final processing - leading to substantial operational savings.
Wolfram Camp Historic Stockpile Sample Testing
The two samples tested were:
WBS Parrot: A bulk sample from the existing ore stockpile.
WBS Combined: A composite of three bulk samples sourced from the historical waste stockpile.
These trials were designed to evaluate the grade distribution across size fractions for Tungsten (WO3) and
Molybdenum (Mo) and assess the effectiveness of XRT sorting in recovering tungsten and molybdenum from
surface stockpiles.
WBS Parrot (Ore Stockpile) - Strong Upgrade Potential Demonstrated
Head Grade: 0.09% WO₃ (728 ppm W) and 269 ppm Mo
There was no material in the oversize fraction (+65 mm) in the sample with the bulk of tungsten
contained in sortable size fractions:
o
o
o
-65mm to +26.5 mm: making up for 58% of the total mass, with a grade of 0.08% WO₃, for
51.6% of total W contained in the sample,
-26.5 to +6.7 mm: making up for 40.2% of the total mass, with a grade of 0.10% WO₃, for
41.6% of total W,
-6.7mm: the fine fraction, was less than 2% of the sample by mass but showed a grade of
0.36% WO₃, for 6.5% of total W
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Figure above left: represent Tungsten distribution (%) and mass distribution (%) for each size fraction in the WBS Parrot Stockpile.
Figure above right: represent Molybdenum distribution (%) and mass distribution (%) for each size fraction.
XRT Ore Sorter Response:
Excellent response in both sorter size fractions, with 86% tungsten recovery.
Significant grade increase:
o -65mm to +26.5 mm: from 0.08% WO₃ to 0.67% WO₃
o -26.5 to +6.7 mm: from 0.10% WO₃ to 1.59% WO₃, a x16 upgrade.
o Waste grade of 0.01% WO₃ in both size fraction
Mass yields:
o -65mm to +26.5 mm: >10%
o -26.5 to +6.7 mm: >5%
Molybdenum was upgraded but with modest recoveries of 20–35% depending on size fraction.
These results highlight the sorter’s ability to efficiently de-bulk tungsten-bearing ore, with 86% of the total
contained tungsten recovered in just 5-10% of the original feed mass, demonstrating a significant increase and
reduction in downstream processing volume.
WBS Combined (Waste Stockpile Composite) - Tungsten in Fines Unlocks Additional Value
Head Grade: 0.10% WO₃ (772 ppm W) and 199 ppm Mo
Approximately 12% of the sample mass in the oversize fraction (+65 mm) remains unassayed and
was assumed to carry no grade for this analysis:
o
o
o
-65 +26.5 mm: making up to 24.6% of the total mass, with a grade of 0.07% WO₃, for 18% of
total W
-26.5 +6.7 mm: making up 18.4% of the total mass, with a grade of 0.03% WO₃, for 6% of
total W
-6.7mm: the fines represented 45% of the total mass, with a grade of 0.16% WO₃, for 75% of
total W in the sample.
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resourcing the new economy for a better tomorrow
Figure above left: represent Tungsten distribution (%) and mass distribution (%) for each size fraction in the WBS Combined Stockpile.
Figure above right: represent Molybdenum distribution (%) and mass distribution (%) for each size fraction.
XRT Ore Sorter Response:
-65 + 25.6 mm Size fraction:
o 76% W recovery, 28% Mo recovery
o Grade upgrade from 0.07% WO₃ to 0.45% WO₃
-26.5 mm +6.7mm Size fraction:
o W and Mo upgraded 14x and 7x respectively
o 40% W recovery, 20% Mo recovery
o Grade upgrade from 0.03% WO₃ to 0.46% WO₃
Waste grade of 0.02% WO₃ in both size fraction
Mass yields:
o -65mm to +26.5 mm: >12%
o -26.5 to +6.7 mm: >2%
Despite lower recoveries than WBS Parrot, the results on the Waste Stockpile indicate meaningful value in the
historical waste material, especially in the fine fractions, where tungsten can be easily recovered using gravity
separation without the need for additional crushing or sorting.
EQR Executive Chairman, Oliver Kleinhempel, commented: “These preliminary results highlight the technical
potential to unlock value from historical stockpiles at Wolfram Camp using modern sorting techniques. The
strong tungsten upgrade from the Parrot stockpile and meaningful recoveries from the waste composite
reinforce the viability of this low-impact approach to resource recovery and offers exciting upside as we refine
our processing strategy. We look forward to completing the technical review and progressing to the next phase
of evaluation.”
EQR is evaluating the potential to leverage its existing infrastructure to establish a regional tungsten hub. The
strategy aims to maximise operational synergies, reduce capital intensity, and support regional employment
by providing opportunities for the local workforce, building on successful upskilling and training programs the
Company has already implemented.
Further assay certification and interpretation of results are underway with the next steps including further bulk
sample testing with the XRT ore sorter at Mt Carbine to assess in-situ sortability potential, with results to be
integrated into production and stockpile evaluation. The Company will continue to update the market as the
project progresses.
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resourcing the new economy for a better tomorrow
Released on authority of the Board by:
Oliver Kleinhempel
Executive Chairman
Further Enquiries:
Peter Taylor
Investor Relations
0412 036 231
peter@nwrcommunications.com.au
About the Company
EQ Resources Limited is a leading tungsten mining company dedicated to sustainable mining and processing practices.
The Company is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, with a focus on expanding its world-class tungsten assets
at Mt Carbine in North Queensland (Australia) and at Barruecopardo in the Salamanca Province (Spain). The Company
leverages advanced minerals processing technology and unexploited resources across multiple jurisdictions, with the aim
of being a globally leading supplier of the critical mineral, tungsten. The Company aims to create shareholder value through
the exploration and development of its current project portfolio whilst continuing to evaluate corporate and exploration
opportunities within the new economy and critical minerals sector globally.
Competent Person Statement
The technical information in this announcement that relates to metallurgical test work and ore sorting is based on, and
fairly represents, information compiled by Mr Kevin MacNeill, who is a Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and
Metallurgy (AusIMM). Mr MacNeill is the Chief Technical Officer of EQ Resources Limited and is not considered
“independent” for the purposes of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and
Ore Reserves (JORC Code, 2012 Edition).
Mr MacNeill has over 15 years of experience in mineral processing, with particular expertise in the application and
optimisation of sensor-based ore sorting technology. He has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of
mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration, and to the metallurgical test work being reported, to qualify as a
Competent Person as defined in the JORC Code (2012 Edition). Mr MacNeill consents to the inclusion in the report of
the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.
Forward-looking Statements
This announcement may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and
conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently
anticipated in such statements. Particular risks applicable to this announcement include risks associated with planned
production, including the ability of the Company to achieve its targeted production outline due to regulatory, technical or
economic factors. In addition, there are risks associated with estimates of resources, and there is no guarantee that a
resource will have demonstrated economic viability as necessary to be classified as a reserve. There is no guarantee that
additional exploration work will result in significant increases to resource estimates. Neither the Australian Securities
Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the Australian Securities Exchange)
accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this announcement.
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