White Cliff Minerals has received positive results from metallurgical test work on samples taken from the 2016 drilling program at the Aucu Gold Deposit in the Kyrgyz Republic. The tests carried out by the Bureau Veritas Minerals Laboratory in Perth have delivered excellent gold recoveries.
Metallurgical tests were performed on 14 drilling composites representing 96 one metre drill samples. The samples came mainly from the newly discovered Quartz Zone, which has an average gold grade of 9.5 g/t and an average copper grade of 0.64%.
One composite contained over 1% copper but very little gold. The other 13 composites had significant gold and copper values, averaging 10.6 g/t gold and 0.85% copper.
Comparison of fire assay gold analyses with Leachwell bottle roll analyses indicated greater than 96% free milling gold for 10 of the composites. Two composites had about 76% and one composite had 36% free milling gold. These three composites averaged about 2.6% copper which may have affected the Leachwell assays.
Screen fire assays showed that on average one third of the gold occurred as relatively large metallic grains.
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. It avoids cyanide leaching and associated environmental management problems.
White Cliff’s managing director Rodd Hibberd said, “The Aucu gold and copper deposit is shaping up as a major find. It displays all the characteristics 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.”
“These factors, 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, make this a remarkable project.
“The 2017 exploration program has commenced and once the required 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 focusing on increasing the current inferred resource along strike.”
White Cliff Minerals