Company Overview
Intec is the owner and developer of the internationally patented Intec Process, The Intec Process operates in the chloride medium to recover base and precious metals from ores, concentrates and residues in a cost effective and environmentally safe manner.
In 1992, Intec Copper Pty Ltd was formed to progress Intec's business plan for the development and commercialisation of the Intec Copper Process. The Intec Copper stage 1 pilot plant (55kg per day) operated for an aggregate of 290 days during the period August 1994 to November 1995. By November 1995, the Intec Copper Process had been demonstrated to perform satisfactorily and LME 'A' Grade purity copper had been produced.
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The Intec Copper Process was further proven in the stage 2 demonstration plant (1 tonne per day), which was constructed at St Peters in suburban Sydney, and operated during 1998 and 1999. The US$10 million demonstration plant program produced 190 tonnes of copper metal and operated over an 8-month period, including continuous operation for 130 days. The plant demonstrated the successful operation of the key components of the process. Since then, the process unit operations have been optimised and the Intec Copper Process is ready for commercialisation. |
Intec listed on the ASX (code INL) in May 2002. Since that time the Company has designed and operated a new commercial scale copper electrowinning cell, the dendritic product of which has been turned into fine wire via the upward vertical rod-casting technology of Rautomead International Ltd (see 'Strategic Partners - Rautomead') and the wire-drawing facilities of Phelps Dodge.
Intec has also developed the Intec Gold Process for the economic extraction of gold from refractory gold concentrates without recourse to cyanide. A pilot plant demonstrating this technology was designed, constructed and commissioned on the premises of Metcon Laboratories in northern Sydney, wholly-owned by Ammtec Ltd, Australia's largest minerals testwork consultancy. The pilot plant was directly funded by Intec's largest shareholder Ivanhoe Mines Ltd (see 'Strategic Partners - Ivanhoe Mines') and Intec also received a A$1.43 million R & D Start grant from the Australian Government.
In January 2004, Intec acquired the Hellyer assets from the Receivers to Western Metals Limited. The assets acquired included a 1.5 Mtpa mill and associated infrastructure, a 10.9 million tonne tailings dam containing significant quantities of base and precious metals (see Hellyer Overview) and a portfolio of exploration and mining tenements. The exploration and mining tenements were transferred to the then Resource Finance & Investments Ltd (now renamed Bass Metals Ltd).
Construction work of an Intec Process demonstration plant at Burnie in northern Tasmania commenced in January 2005 and was completed in the September quarter 2005. The demonstration plant operated continuously for 9 months through to August 2006, treating a blend of Hellyer polymetallic tailings, zinc-bearing electric arc furnace dusts from both Smorgon Steel and OneSteel and also Zeehan lead smelter slags. Since that time, the demonstration plant has continued to operate on a campaign basis as part of an ongoing programme of testing and development associated with current and future projects.
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The Burnie Research Facility has also been successfully used at the commercial scale to recycle heavy metals from long-term intractable industrial waste in Tasmania. Already, the use of the facility to convert these heavy metals into mineral products has diverted hundreds of tonnes of waste away from landfill. The technology and know-how being applied at Intec's Burnie facility are expected to be more widely applicable. The Burnie operations have been independently recognised in 2009, first as runner-up for the Small Business Sustainability Award of the 2009 Tasmanian Awards for Environmental Excellence, and then as a category finalist in the Eco Innovation category of the prestigious Banksia Environmental Awards (www.banksiafdn.com). |
In April 2006, Intec entered into a joint venture agreement with Polymetals to restart the Hellyer mill in order to retreat a portion of tailings from the Hellyer tailings dam to produce a saleable bulk zinc concentrate. The Hellyer Zinc Concentrate Project produced cash and profits for both joint venture partners throughout 2007 & 2008, prior to the suspension of operations due to persisting poor economic conditions in September 2008. Having been purchased for A$1.2 million, and having produced A$43 million in revenues during the course of operations, the Hellyer assets were sold in 2009 for a total consideration (immediate and deferred) of A$10 million.
Intec is currently pursuing a range of projects using the Intec Process and related intellectual property and know-how for the recycling of metals from industrial wastes (solids, sludges and wastewaters), as well as projects using the Intec Process for the recovery of metals from mineral feedstocks.
Following commercialisation of the Intec Process, Intec’s revenue sources will include direct revenue from the operation of Intec’s own projects; toll plant revenues and earnings from joint venture interests; and design, construction and royalty payments from licensed applications of the Intec Process.
Timeline
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1992 |
Intec Copper formed |
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1994-95 |
Pilot plant successfully operated for the Intec Copper Process |
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1996-97 |
Further technical development of the Intec Copper Process and specific Intec Process applications, and engineering for scaled-up operations |
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1998-99 |
Demonstration plant successfully operated for the Intec Copper Process |
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2000-04 |
Further technical development of the Intec Copper, Intec Zinc and Intec Gold Processes |
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2002 |
Intec Ltd listed on the ASX |
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2003-04 |
Pilot plant successfully operated for the Intec Gold Process Electrowinning cell successfully operated for Intec Copper Process |
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2004 |
Acquired the Hellyer Metals Project |
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2005 |
Construction of demonstration plant for Hellyer Metals Project |
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2006 |
Demonstration plant operated successfully, treating Hellyer tailings, electric arc furnace dust, and other feedstocks Hellyer mill being restarted via Polymetals joint venture, to retreat tailings to produce a bulk zinc concentrate. |
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2007 |
Continued operations of the Hellyer Zinc Concentrate Project |
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2008 |
Continued development of potential projects utilising the Intec Process and related technologies. |
| 2009 |
Sale of the Hellyer assets Commencement of commercial waste recycling operations at the Burnie Research Facility |