Youanmi Deeps Metallurgical Testwork Updates
Perth, Oct 6, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - West Australian focused gold exploration and development company, Rox Resources, in conjunction with its joint venture partner Venus Metals Corporation Limited (
ASX:VMC) is pleased to provide an update on metallurgical testwork recently conducted on the Youanmi Deeps Resource, located within the OYG JV area (Rox 70% and Manager, VMC 30%).
The work forms part of development studies currently underway into potential future production at the Youanmi Gold Project. This preliminary part of the study will establish processing pathways to optimise gold recovery prior to progressing to more extensive and detailed "feasibility study level" metallurgical testwork.
Rox Resources Managing Director Alex Passmore commented:
"In June 2021 (ASX release 23 June 2021) we reported a 30% increase in the Youanmi Deeps Resource, and now we are pleased to report that advances in gold extraction technology over the last 30 years (since GMA built its processing plant) have made a significant difference in gold recovery.
"Preliminary metallurgical testwork indicates a 10% increase on historical gold recoveries by utilising a pressure oxidation leach process (i.e. POX).
"Furthermore, we look forward to results of (scoping level) process plant design and costing later this year being undertaken by Como Engineers who have a long track record of success for both design and development of similar sized gold processing facilities in WA with a variety of flowsheet designs."
Comparison to Historical Data
The principal past producer at Youanmi, Gold Mines of Australia (GMA) operated the Youanmi Deeps underground mine in the 1990s. At which time GMA also operated a 600ktpa oxide ore CIL plant configured to handle 270ktpa of sulphide (i.e. Youanmi Deeps) feed through a bacterial oxidation plant (Bachtech technology). During this period the operation achieved an average of around 87% metallurgical recovery up until the plant shut down in November 1997 (Figure 1*).
Rox's September 2021 testwork results included two composite samples taken from 30 individual diamond drill core intervals of historical drilling comprising of mainly half and quarter NQ drilling core, including 14 sections from the upper part of the Hangingwall Lode domain, and 16 sections from the upper part of the Main Lode domain. The Main Lode, and Hangingwall Lode domains combined represent over 30 percent of the entire Deeps Mineral Resource. Figure 2* and Table 2* contain the drill hole locations and sample intervals of the composites used in this metallurgical analysis.
Testwork Results
Table 1* shows gold recovery results of direct leach only (grind to 75 micron), ultra fine grind (to 15 micron), and finally the very high overall gold recovery results from the pressure oxide leach process.
*To view tables and figures, please visit:
https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/W8C2LP4R
About Venus Metals Corporation Limited
Venus Metals Corporation Limited (ASX:VMC) is a West Australian based Company with a focus on gold, base metals, vanadium and lithium exploration projects. The Company aims to increase shareholder value through targeted exploration success on its projects.
The Company's major gold project is the Youanmi Gold Mine, located 500km north-east of Perth. The Youanmi Gold Mine is now jointly owned by Venus Metals (30%) and Rox Resources Limited (70%); Indicated and Inferred Resource of the mine is in excess of 3 million ounces of gold.
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