Kentor Gold (ASX: KGL) has returned promising initial results from the Scoping Study being undertaken at the Jervois Project in the Northern Territory, which could lead to the development of an open pit multi-metal mine.
High metallurgical recoveries and concentrate grades have been achieved with 26% copper concentrate grade at 94% recovery from drill core that comprised 72 metres at 3.27% copper, 0.25% lead, 0.11% zinc, 51.33 grams per tonne (g/t) silver and 1.16g/t gold from 414 metres.
The company has also commenced a JORC Resource upgrade, to be conducted by consultants Hellman & Schofield, and begun mining and engineering studies at the project.
Simon Milroy, Kentor Gold's managing director, said "to achieve levels of this kind in the very first round of metallurgical test work is a great result."
"There is still a lot more work to be done but these metallurgical results, together with the recent outstanding exploration drilling results, continue to point the way to the development of a major multi-metal mine."
The high concentrate grades and good recoveries were achieved at a relatively coarse grind size and provide encouragement to the company as it continues with further test work.
Resource upgrade
Hellman & Schofield who completed the initial Inferred Resource estimate of 8.8 million tonnes at 1.3% copper and 26.7g/t silver have commenced an upgrade to the resource model incorporating the recent drilling results and survey information.
In September Kentor delivered an impressive intersection from diamond drilling of 72 metres at 3.27% copper, 51.33 grams per tonne (g/t) silver and 1.16g/t gold from 414 metres. Additional density measurements of core from current and historical drilling will also be incorporated into the upgraded Resource estimate.
Mining and processing studies
Consultant Auralia Mining has been engaged to run pit optimisations and schedules on each resource deposit at Jervois. On completion, mining costs and underground inventory will be estimated to enable a mining schedule to be produced.
Knight Piesold have been engaged to conduct the geotechnical and water management assessment for the Jervois Project that will assess tailings management, plant site foundation evaluation, groundwater assessment and surface water management.
Kentor is currently planning a future program of testwork to analyse the metallurgical performance of sulphide minerals in core from the Bellbird deposit and oxide material from the Marshall-Reward and Bellbird projects.
Results from the Scoping Study are expected in the first quarter of 2012 and will lead towards a full feasibility study on the project in 2012.