White Cliff Minerals (ASX:WCN) has received results from metallurgical test work conducted on samples taken from the 2016 drilling program at the Aucu Gold Project in Kyrgyz Republic.
Bottle roll analyses indicated greater than 96% free milling gold for 10 of the 14 composites tested.
Leach tests on the copper mineralisation showed that 34% of copper is present as copper oxide, 20% is present as secondary copper sulphides and 44% is present as primary copper sulphides.
Todd Hibberd, managing director, commented: “The Aucu gold and copper deposit is shaping up as a major find.
“It displays all the characteristic of a world class deposit including excellent metallurgy, very high gold recoveries, an exceptionally high gravity gold component, a high average gold grade, visible gold in outcrop at surface and multiple mineralised shear zones that extend kilometres”.
Aucu metallurgy summary
White Cliff will undertake further metallurgical testing of copper and gold recovery via a combination of gravity concentration and froth floatation.
This would produce saleable high-grade gold/copper concentrates, which at this stage appears to be the most attractive processing method.
2016 testing showed gravity recoverable gold averages 88.6% based on the 69 composites.
Gravity concentration testing has not been conducted for the 2017 composites at this stage. However, the high levels of free milling gold and coarse particulate gold seen in the current results are positive indicators.
Circa 64%of the copper occurred as primary and secondary sulphides which are readily recovered to high-grade concentrates by froth floatation.
Ongoing mine optimisation study
The current mining optimisation study aims to establish how much of the current resource could potentially be extracted via an open pit mining operation.
The mining study allows White Cliff to examine various mining scenarios and provides information on where to most economically target infill drilling to enable conversion of the existing inferred resource into an indicated resource.
Analysis
The metallurgical test-work provides further confirmation of high level recoveries of mineralisation at Aucu, which in turn de-risks the project further.
Being able to recover mineralisation from its host rock is an essential and significant requirement for any future mine.
This combined with strong government support for new mines, a new five year exploration licence in a location with access to infrastructure such as water, power, roads and a skilled mining workforce, makes this a viable project.
Furthermore, shareholders remain leveraged to exploration news flow over the short term with the 2017 exploration program having now commenced.
Once the required access tracks have been prepared drilling will begin, initially on a 300 metre strike extension of the Quartz Zone.
Drilling has also been planned across the project focussing on increasing the current inferred resource along strike.