The importance of the values of Pt and Pd in the NR is their potential as credits in processing of the chromite ore. If the Pt and PD can be recovered from the chromite for less then $10.27/t of ore we make money from them. If we can't process them for less than $10.27/t then the PT Pd won't be separated from the chromite ore and won't be recovered. So the Pt Pd value to us is ($10.27/t - processing costs/t - smelting costs/t).
If these Pt Pd values existed in a Nickle deposit (80-99%) would be captured during the processing of the Ni concentrate and then recovered as PGM credits from the smelter during smelting of the concentrate. My understanding is that with greater then 10-15% Chromite present you need to process PGM and Chromite separately and those costs have to be covered. How much this would cost and if it can be done is part of the work Cliffs is doing in their metallurgical studies.
We do know that Pt and Pd exist in higher concentrations in some parts of the deposit but they didn't talk about that in this NR.
For me the real meat in the NR is that they are publicly stating estimated sizes for the Chromite deposits.
.... Been There
