Argent Minerals Ltd (ASX:ARD) has further enhanced the potential of the Kempfield project in New South Wales.
Preliminary metallurgical recovery test results of 83.4% to 97.5% significantly exceed historical assumptions for lead, zinc, silver and gold recoveries.
The importance of these results is that they increase the levels of recoverable metal from the project.
Recently, independent resource specialists, H&S Consultants Pty Ltd, delivered a JORC compliant Exploration Target which has at the upper end, an opportunity to triple the resource.
The now quantified upside potential includes:
- Lower end of range: 6.4 million silver ounces, 20,000 gold ounces, 60,000 tonnes of zinc and 30,000 tonnes of lead, estimating an additional 13 million silver ounce equivalent resource.
- Upper end of range: 64 million silver ounces, 390,000 gold ounces, 480,000 tonnes of zinc and 240,000 tonnes of lead, estimating an additional 100 million silver ounce equivalent resource.
Next steps at Kempfield
Argent is now aggressively pursuing Kempfield economic viability through several programs.
Key goals from the programs include:
- Increasing the Kempfield mineral resource: Through the infill drilling program that Argent is designing and executing for validation of the significant Exploration Target estimate;
- Optimising plant feed grades: Through a combination of improving grades where possible through the above exploration, aided by the new 3D geological model for wireframing identified mineralisation, and ‘high grading’ the selection of material for milling and processing; and
- Optimising metal recoveries: Through the continuing metallurgical testing program, with the preliminary results exceeding historical assumptions.
Details of the metallurgical tests
Argent’s goal for the testwork is to establish the potential for higher metallurgical recoveries to separate lead and zinc concentrates in a standalone flotation processing environment than the existing assumptions based on historical testing.
The historical testing had primarily focused on carbon-in-leach (CIL) recoveries for silver and gold from oxide and transitional material.
Whereas the historical flotation tests were performed on residue from the preceding CIL tests (which can introduce complexities for subsequent flotation recoveries), the recent tests were performed directly on drill core samples from primary material.
The metallurgical testwork will be used to devise the most effective processing flowsheet for optimal recovery of metals from Kempfield-specific material into two separate concentrates of saleable grades as the company continues to advance the Kempfield project toward the ultimate goal of production.