BBX Minerals Limited provided results from initial pilot plant testing, utilising a 45 kg composite sample from drill hole TED-015, conducted by EcoBiome Metals, LLC (EcoBiome). TED-015 was incorporated in the Adelar prospect (Três Estados) Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE), announced to the ASX on 25 October 2022 and updated on 25 January 2023. A 5 kg sample of TED-015 was also utilised for bioleaching test work conducted by EcoBiome in a controlled environment and announced on 19 December 2022.

Following the positive results obtained from the initial rounds of test work conducted and announced in November and December 2022, the company's efforts moved to larger scale testing. A dedicated pilot plant was designed and commissioned by EcoBiome at its facility in The Woodlands, Texas, USA. The objective of this pilot plant test was to simulate a potential production circuit.

Highlights: Dedicated pilot plant designed and commissioned by EcoBiome at its facility in The Woodlands, Texas, USA. Planning underway for the construction of a pilot plant in Brazil; Pilot plant simulates a potential production circuit for the mineralisation at the Três Estados project; Bioleach pilot plant test results utilising a 36m interval (45kg sample from a homogenised 50.4 kg composite) from drill hole TED-015 show a recovered grade of 3.00 g/t 5E 1 precious metals (0.45 g/t Au, 1.76 g/t Pd, 0.55 g/t Pt, 0.03 g/t Ir and 0.21 g/t Rh); Pilot plant metal recoveries had significantly more Au, Pd, and Rh in the final product than the previously reported assays for the same drill hole interval; Positive results from first of several pilot plant tests demonstrate the suitability of this bioleaching process; Bioleaching is a simple and effective technology for metal extraction from low-grade ores and mineral concentrates; Planning underway for testing of other drill core samples from the recently announced MRE. The 45 kg sample was reacted with the EcoBiome proprietary technology and EcoBiome Metals Cultured Platinum Group Metals (PGM) microbes.

The material was then processed through a Knelson concentrator, followed by filtration and finally electrowinning. Samples were subsequently assayed for gold, platinum, palladium, iridium, and rhodium by ICP-MS by an independent analytical test laboratory in Arizona, USA. The pilot plant was designed to operate continuously to simulate an industrial process, utilising five reactors in series.