OzAurum Resources Ltd (ASX:OZM) is encouraged by the high gold recovery on samples taken from its flagship Mulgabbie North Project in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia.
Sighter metallurgical test work delivered up to 98.6% recovery, including excellent average recovery from composite fresh samples of 88.3%, high gold recoveries on all oxide, transition and fresh composite samples, and very low reagent consumption of 0.22-0.25 kilograms per tonne cyanide and 0.62-1.9 kilograms per tonne lime.
Recoveries from the test work showed:
- Ben oxide composite 98.6%;
- James oxide composite 93.1%;
- Ben transition composite 89.7%;
- James transition composite 87.6%;
- Ben fresh composite 87.3%; and
- James fresh composite 89.3%.
The combination of high gold recoveries, low reagent consumption and rapid leach times bode well for Mulgabbie North’s potential future treatment options.
Huge confidence
“The metallurgical test work results from the Mulgabbie North Project give us enormous confidence in the project moving forward,” OzAurum chief executive officer and managing director Andrew Pumphrey said.
“The Mulgabbie North maiden mineral resource estimate anticipated in Q1 2023 is a huge milestone for the company to achieve in just two years since listing and should be a further catalyst for future growth,”
More drilling done
OzAurum completed a six-hole reverse circulation (RC) drill program for 1,020 metres at Mulgabbie North last week to test new structural targets and the southern extension at the Demag Zone, including one vertical hole at the James Prospect.
The Demag Zone, between the Alicia and Ben prospects within the Mulgabbie North Project, has seen limited drilling in the past.
RC drilling here has defined primary gold mineralisation for more than 2.8 kilometres of strike. The company is confident that future drilling will uncover new primary gold mineralisation given the numerous geochemical gold anomalies and saprolite-hosted gold mineralisation identified by aircore drilling.
Five additional diamond drill holes were also completed, comprising one at the Hotel Prospect, two at the Perseverance Prospect and two at the James Prospect.
Assay results from the drill holes will be announced as they become available.
Mulgabbie North Project.
Forward plan
The company will recommence diamond drilling at Mulgabbie North in mid-February next year as the twinning of RC holes by diamond drill holes is a requirement of the mineral resource estimation process.
Additionally, oxide, transition and fresh samples from the diamond drill holes can be used for a sighter heap leach test work planned for the first quarter.