Australian gold and nickel company Rox Resources Ltd, in conjunction with its joint venture partner Venus Metals Corp, has announced that preliminary metallurgical test work has delivered high gold recoveries from the Youanmi Gold Project.

The Youanmi project, located northeast of Perth, Western Australia, is host to several styles of mineralisation. To ensure adequate representation from the different mineralisation styles, 81 samples were selected for metallurgical test work from 32 RC holes previously reported by Rox across the project area. Intervals were selected to cover a range of gold grades, mineralisation styles and degree of weathering/oxidation. 

Samples were analysed by the LeachWELL Accelerated Cyanide Leach technique to determine the cyanide extractable gold via this industry-standard method and provide an indication of the potential recoveries in standard gold processing circuits (i.e. CIL).

The results from the oxide, transitional and fresh zones at the Grace prospect are exceptionally encouraging with gold recoveries averaging 97 per cent, 94 per cent and 95 per cent, respectively. These results indicate that gold mineralisation encountered in recent drilling at the Youanmi project in general, and especially at Grace, is amenable to conventional cyanide extraction methods. 

Managing Director Alex Passmore commented: “We are very pleased with these results, which are in line with our expectations. The main lode ore body at Youanmi that was mined historically was renowned as being refractory at depth. This first-pass metallurgical test work demonstrates that different primary mineralisation styles within the Youanmi project area such as the granite-hosted gold at Grace are clearly non-refractory, delivering excellent recoveries with conventional methods.”

Further metallurgical test-work is ongoing, meanwhile Rox is continuing to drill the high Grace prospect with two RC drill rigs on site.