Midland Research Center

LLC

Experience

ExperienceExperience

Experience

◊

◊◊

◊

T T

Technical Competence

echnical Competenceechnical Competence

echnical Competence

◊ Quality

◊ Quality◊ Quality

◊ Quality

Flexibility

FlexibilityFlexibility

Flexibility

◊ Innovation

◊ Innovation◊ Innovation

◊ Innovation

From

From From

From project

project project

project concept to

concept to concept to

concept to exploration or

exploration orexploration or

exploration or

commercial

commercialcommercial

commercial operation

operation operation

operation,

, ,

from single sam

from single samfrom single sam

from single samples to large

ples to large ples to large

ples to large or long term

or long term or long term

or long term projects,

projects, projects,

projects, Midland

Midland Midland

Midland

Research Center LLC provides

Research Center LLC providesResearch Center LLC provides

Research Center LLC provides

a wide range of

a wide range of a wide range of

a wide range of testing

testingtesting

testing and

and and

and

research services to clients

research services to clients research services to clients

research services to clients in the global mining

in the global mining in the global mining

in the global mining and minerals

and minerals and minerals

and minerals

industry

industryindustry

industry

Mailing address:

Mailing address:Mailing address:

Mailing address:

Laboratory and Shipping Address:

Laboratory and Shipping Address:Laboratory and Shipping Address:

Laboratory and Shipping Address:

Midland Research Center L

Midland Research Center LMidland Research Center L

Midland Research Center LLC

LCLC

Midland Research Center LLC

Midland Research Center LLCMidland Research Center LLC

Midland Research Center LLC

P.O. Box

P.O. Box P.O. Box

P.O. Box 410

410410

410

202 Alice Avenue

202 Alice Avenue202 Alice Avenue

202 Alice Avenue

Marble

MarbleMarble

Marble, Minnesota 557

, Minnesota 557, Minnesota 557

, Minnesota 55764,

64, 64,

64, U.S.A.

U.S.A.U.S.A.

U.S.A.

Marble, Minnesota 55764, U.S.A.

Marble, Minnesota 55764, U.S.A.Marble, Minnesota 55764, U.S.A.

Marble, Minnesota 55764, U.S.A.

-mail: dlearmon@2z.net

mail: dlearmon@2z.netmail: dlearmon@2z.net

mail: dlearmon@2z.net

Telephone: 1

Telephone: 1Telephone: 1

Telephone: 1-

-218

218218

218-

-247

247247

247-

-3179

31793179

3179

www.midlandresearchc

www.midlandresearchcwww.midlandresearchc

www.midlandresearchce

ent

ntnt

nte

er.com

r.comr.com

r.com

Midland Research Center

LLC

LLCLLC

LLC

Mailing address:

Mailing address:Mailing address:

Mailing address:

Laboratory and Shipping Address:

Laboratory and Shipping Address:Laboratory and Shipping Address:

Laboratory and Shipping Address:

Midland Research Center LLC Midland Research Center LLC

P.O. Box 410 202 Alice Avenue

Marble, Minnesota 55764 U.S.A. Marble, Minnesota 55764, U.S.A.

e-mail: dlearmon@2z.net Telephone: 1-218-247-3179

www.midlandresearchcenter.com

Midland Research Center LLC is a well established minerals testing, research and

process development laboratory. Located on Minnesota’s Mesabi Iron Range, our

personnel have a strong record of providing testing and research services to the global

minerals industry including

 Testing and analysis to assist new projects advance from concept to

commercial

 Research and testing services that assist new and existing mineral producers

improve their flowsheets and processes or expand their product offerings

 Drill core and other sample processing, analysis and testing services that

supplement or provide quality control for exploration projects, for

development projects, and for operating mineral producers

 Research and development of new mineral or improved production techniques

Midland Research Center LLC has bench and laboratory-scale testing equipment,

experienced personnel and a record of successful accomplishments that extends

throughout the North American and global minerals industry. Building on experience

with major operating and developing mining companies and across many minerals, MRC

is an independent facility that provides testing and research services to exploration,

development, and operating mining and mineral companies locally and worldwide.

Midland Research Center LLC personnel have substantial experience in testing and

process development in iron ore and other ferrous minerals, non-ferrous metallic

minerals, and industrial minerals. MRC serves small and large projects, from short term

projects or single samples to long term and extensive projects. The laboratory's

equipment and personnel perform most tasks related to exploration drill core processing,

bench and laboratory scale testing, sample blending, development of quality control

samples, testing and development of new techniques, and other assignments that are part

of the client's programs. A partial listing of capabilities and services provided by Midland

Research Center is provided in this brochure. If there is a need that involves minerals but

is not listed, please contact us - we may already have experience or we can develop an

approach with you. Midland Research Center LLC strives to deliver prompt, high quality

service to clients by utilizing its facility, equipment, and skilled, experienced personnel.

Midland Research Center

Mineral Processing and Testing Capabilities

Midland Research Center's facility can handle projects of various sizes. This includes

testing of small single samples and extends to much larger mineral processing services

that can include crushing, grinding, screening/classification, flotation, balling, settling or

elutriation, and other sample or process testing desired by the client. Midland is equipped

to provide specialized testing using in-house equipment, and is also able to perform

sample preparation and to support testwork that may be performed by others. MRC can

accommodate temporary storage of incoming materials for testing, such as drill core,

mine, plant, or other larger samples, as well as smaller samples such as assay sample

pulps, pilot plant test products, and operational quality control samples. Being located in

a major mining area, transportation and other infrastructure facilitates are available to

provide good service to the client.

Drill Core Processing

Midland Research Center provides complete services for processing exploration drill core

or other exploration samples and also from development or /production drilling samples:

 Individual drill core or field samples  Davis Tube tests

 Complete drill core processing

programs

 Specific gravity

 Core sample compositing  Core crushing

 Core sample screening  Sample pulverizing

 Loss on ignition  Sample preparation for other testing

Sample Testing and Characterization

The results of sample testing and material characterization are critical in understanding

and developing mineral resources, mine planning, process development, process

improvement, and in production operations. Midland Research Center LLC is well

equipped to perform the sample testing and characterization needed for the minerals

industry, including:

 Magnetite, hematite, nonferrous and

other mineral ores

 Liberation grinding tests

 Davis Tube tests  Preparation of quality control and

check samples

 Particle size distribution, size

structure

 Heavy liquid separation tests

 Wet or dry bulk density  Specific gravity

 Bond ball mill work index  Bond rod mill work index

 Quality testing as a third party  Particle crushing strength

 Abrasion testing and tumble

resistance, ISO 3271

 Green balling/batch balling

 Green ball wet and dry drop tests  Pellet compression tests

 Moisture content  Pulverizing

 Blaine surface area  High-temperature heating

 Particle degradation tumble testing  Compression tests

Laboratory-scale Testing

Understanding mineral behavior is critical to success in moving minerals through

processing to produce a concentrate or other commercial product, to improve product

grades, to improve recovery of valuable minerals, and to improve process efficiency.

Midland Research Center offers the following examples of laboratory-scale testing to

understand mineral behavior, to provide data for engineering studies, and that lead to

mine and process improvement:

 Ball mill testing  Rod mill testing

 Mixing and blending  Drying

 Superpanner separation  Shaking table separation

 Heavy liquid separation  Vacuum filtration testing

 Elutriation  Hydroseparation

 Heavy media separation testing  Leaf vacuum filter tests

 Muffle furnace  Grinding efficiency

 Green balling  Flotation

 Wet magnetic separation  Custom batch crushing or grinding

Other Testing and Research Services and Capabilities

The breadth and technical needs of the minerals industry also includes testing, research,

and development services beyond those already listed and beyond standard flowsheets.

The capabilities of Midland Research Center and the lab’s flexibility extend into many of

those areas. Examples include:

 Testing and development of innovative

equipment or process technologies

 Testing and research for new or niche

products

 Developing and executing programs

for reconciling mine to mill differences

 Developing and executing programs to

re-analyze historical samples and data

 Testing services as an independent third

party

 Testing alternative approaches to

conventional flowsheets

 Collaborative testing, research, and

development

 Assistance to and support of client

testing and development

Midland Research Center

Management and Professional Qualifications

Midland Research Center LLC personnel are able to provide project management,

supervision, and engineering, from single results for individual tests through to major

project programs and reports.

Midland Research Center LLC maintains objectivity in client projects while striving to

achievce client objectives. Projects are typically performed on a client-confidential basis

with appropriate information protections.

Midland Research Center’s professional personnel have extensive qualifications:

 Mining, mineral processing, and metallurgical engineering qualifications

 Senior staff have extensive national and international management and technical

experience

 Technical staff hold memberships in professional organizations in the United

States, Canada, Australia, and elsewhere, including

 Society of Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Registered Professional

 Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum

 Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy

 Instituto de Ingenieros de Minas de Chile

 Society of Economic Geologists, and others

 National Instrument 43-101 certification

 Multiple professional engineering registrations

Midland Research Center LLC uses well-established industry-standard procedures for

most iron ore and other minerals work. In situations where client preferences or the

nature of testing requires modification of existing procedures or development of new

procedures, Midland has the capability and flexibility to do so where it is appropriate and

technically justifiable. Quality control/quality assurance procedures and practices

generally adhere to normal industry practices, although procedures and practices may

also be tailored to client preferences or project-specific procedures where needed or

requested due to unique or unusual nature of a specific research or testing project, while

not comprising the integrity of results and conclusions.

Midland Research Center's personnel have been a significant element in the advance of

many projects toward commercial operations or where clients seek to improve

performance. Governmental units or others needing or desiring minerals-related

laboratory services may also have test work done at Midland Research Center LLC.

Confidentiality of client data is a priority at Midland Research Center and Midland

honors client requests to keep client and project information and test results confidential

unless there is specific client permission to release information.

Midland Research Center LLC can structure projects to best suit and match the needs and

objectives of the client with Midland's capabilities. Midland Research Center may have

the major role in testing or research work for a project. At other times, such as when an

engineering or consulting firm, mining industry equipment or service providers, or other

firms have the leading project role, Midland can collaborate as part of the total project

structure. For example, Midland Research Center collaborates with Metcom

Technologies Inc., which specializes in helping clients achieve world class performance

from mineral grinding and classification circuits through improved functional

performance of the process circuit. Metcom is also a leader in training and knowledge

transfer in mineral grinding circuits. Midland also collaborates with Northeast Technical

Services (NTS) and Pace Analytical, which provide a wide range of environmental and

analytical services that complement services provided by Midland Research Center.

These combined offerings provide a broad set of technical services to and for the

exploration, mining, and mineral processing industry. While most projects use Midland’s

existing experience and equipment, if a specific item of non-Midland equipment is

needed, arrangements for third party equipment can be made for integration into the

Midland Research Center laboratory equipment and testing configuration.

==============================================================

If you are involved in mineral exploration, mining/mineral project development, testing

of minerals samples, engineering of mineral process facilities or flowsheets, operating a

mine or mineral processing plant, process development or improvement for new or

existing mineral processing facilities, quality control of exploration or other activities and

samples, or evaluating how new mineral processing equipment or process changes could

improve your operation, please contact us to discuss your objectives, ideas, and needs:

Mailing address:

Mailing address:Mailing address:

Mailing address:

Laboratory and Shipping Address:

Laboratory and Shipping Address:Laboratory and Shipping Address:

Laboratory and Shipping Address:

Midland R

Midland RMidland R

Midland Research Center LLC

esearch Center LLCesearch Center LLC

esearch Center LLC

Midland Research Center LLC

Midland Research Center LLCMidland Research Center LLC

Midland Research Center LLC

P.O. Box

P.O. Box P.O. Box

P.O. Box 410

410410

410

202 Alice Avenue

202 Alice Avenue202 Alice Avenue

202 Alice Avenue

Marble

MarbleMarble

Marble, Minnesota 557

, Minnesota 557, Minnesota 557

, Minnesota 55764,

64, 64,

64, U.S.A.

U.S.A.U.S.A.

U.S.A.

Marble, Minnesota 55764, U.S.A.

Marble, Minnesota 55764, U.S.A.Marble, Minnesota 55764, U.S.A.

Marble, Minnesota 55764, U.S.A.

-mail: dlearmon@2z.net

mail: dlearmon@2z.netmail: dlearmon@2z.net

mail: dlearmon@2z.net

Telephone: 1

Telephone: 1Telephone: 1

Telephone: 1-

-218

218218

218-

-247

247247

247-

-3179

31793179

3179

www.midlandresearchc

www.midlandresearchcwww.midlandresearchc

www.midlandresearchce

ent

ntnt

nte

er.com

r.comr.com

r.com