Phoenix Copper introduced the outcomes of the preliminary metallurgical take a look at work for the restoration of valuable metals occurring within the Empire Mine deposit on Monday, reporting that assessments carried out on samples from the open pit utilizing non-toxic ammonium thiosulfate reagent resulted in excessive gold recoveries of 97.8% and 97.7%, and silver recoveries of 69.8% and 78.2%, respectively
The AIM-traded agency mentioned ammonium thiosulfate (ATS) reagent consumption was similar to sodium cyanide in back-to-back bench scale assessments.
Phoenix mentioned the event offered the chance to carry ahead valuable metals manufacturing, as there would now not be the requirement to allow a cyanide operation.
A pilot scale take a look at plant was now being ready on the laboratory in Salt Lake Metropolis, earlier than the beginning of small-scale pilot testing at Empire.
Phoenix additionally mentioned a reverse circulation drill rig had been mobilised for extensional drilling of the gold and silver zones at Empire, with the intent of including extra gold and silver to the open pit useful resource.
The diamond drilling programme on the Crimson Star silver-lead deposit was additionally “nicely underway”, the board mentioned.
“As a part of the continuing work programme on the Empire Mine open pit, a 400-pound metallurgical pattern with a head-grade of 12.Eight grams of gold per ton was collected from surficial outcrops close to a recognized channel pattern location that assayed 36 grams of gold per ton, and submitted for valuable metallic restoration testing at AuRIC Laboratories in Salt Lake Metropolis, Utah,” defined chief govt officer Ryan McDermott.
“AuRIC was instructed to check non-cyanide leaching reagents to find out how valuable metallic recoveries would examine to sodium cyanide.
“I’m happy to announce that the preliminary take a look at outcomes present that the non-cyanide reagent ammonium thiosulfate carried out equally in addition to sodium cyanide in each valuable metallic restoration and reagent consumption.”
McDermott mentioned a number of lab and bench-scale assessments had been carried out on -80 mesh samples, with the bigger quantity bench scale assessments recovering greater than 97% gold and greater than 67% silver after 4 hours of leaching, with ATS consumption of roughly 4%.
“In Might this yr, we revealed an up to date useful resource for the Empire Mine, which included a 56% enhance in gold ounces and a 13% enhance in silver ounces from the earlier Might 2019 useful resource estimate.
“We had anticipated that the dear metallic ounces related to the Empire oxide-copper can be processed utilizing cyanide leach at someday after the first copper leaching due largely to the timeframe vital for allowing a sodium cyanide operation.
“That will very nicely have modified with the receipt of those newest metallurgical outcomes.”
Using ATS, which McDermott mentioned was “a lot much less industrially utilised” within the US, however was praised for its “non-toxic, environmental pleasant, and low price” in comparison with sodium cyanide, would enable the corporate to time the processing of the Empire valuable metals in parallel with the bottom metals, on condition that it didn’t have to enter right into a prolonged allowing course of for the cyanide operation.
“This could current a transparent benefit in a market with rising gold and silver costs, and produce ahead the timing of valuable metallic manufacturing which is able to make the mission way more sturdy economically.
“The testing and use of sodium cyanide options is in keeping with our ESG philosophies and we are going to proceed to work towards essentially the most environmentally accountable practices attainable.”
At 1611 BST, shares in Phoenix Copper had been up 8.62% at 28.24p.
