Caprice Resources (ASX:CRS) reports up to 94% gold recovery from Vadrians metallurgical testwork

Caprice Resources has reported the results of initial metallurgical testing undertaken on the Vadrians deposit at its Island Gold Project in the Murchison Goldfields of Western Australia.

The company stated that testwork on a representative high grade fresh mineralisation composite sample confirmed the Vadrians gold mineralisation is highly amenable to a conventional gravity and carbon in leach processing pathway, with overall gold recoveries of 94% achieved at a grind size of P80 75μm.

Highlights

• Overall gold recoveries of up to 94% achieved at a grind size of P80 75μm.
• Gold recoveries of 92% achieved at a coarser grind size of P80 106μm.
• Gravity gold recoveries exceeded 33%.
• More than 92% gold extraction achieved within 24 hours at P80 75μm.
• No preg robbing or preg borrowing was observed.
• No asbestiform mineral fibres were detected.
• Results confirmed suitability for a conventional gravity and carbon in leach flowsheet.

The metallurgical programme was undertaken by JT Metallurgical Services Pty Ltd on a composite reverse circulation sample from the fresh zone of the Vadrians deposit.

Prior to the programme, the company stated that no formal metallurgical testing had been conducted at the Island Gold Project, although limited optical mineralogy had previously indicated the presence of free and visible gold.

The testwork programme was designed to evaluate head grade characteristics, gravity recovery potential and carbon in leach performance.

Work completed included comprehensive head assay analysis, grind size determination, a bulk gravity test using a 3 inch Knelson concentrator, intensive cyanidation leaching of the gravity concentrate, grind sensitivity cyanide leach testwork and Acid Mine Drainage characterisation testing.

Results showed a calculated head grade of 12.91g/t gold compared with an assay feed grade of 13.3g/t gold, with average gravity recovery across the three tests of 33.3%, while overall recoveries increased from 88.07% at P80 150μm to 92.11% at P80 106μm and 94.03% at P80 75μm, with the company reporting that minor grind sensitivity was demonstrated across the tested grind sizes..

Caprice Resources Managing Director Luke Cox said the results provided an assessment of potential processing performance for the tested composite.

“Achieving gold recoveries of up to 94% through a conventional gravity and CIL flowsheet from a high grade composite grading 13g/t gold is an excellent metallurgical outcome.”

The company reported that more than 92% gold extraction was achieved within 24 hours at P80 75μm, while results from the gravity and cyanidation programme also showed that near total gold dissolution was achieved within eight hours across all grind sizes.

Average cyanide consumption across all tests was 0.71kg/t, while lime consumption ranged from 0.9kg/t to 1.14kg/t depending on grind size.

Additional analysis reported low organic carbon of 0.06%, no preg robbing or preg borrowing behaviour, and low levels of deleterious elements and heavy metals in solution assays, with a BLEG test returning gold extraction of 98.4% after 24 hours.

The company also completed Acid Mine Drainage characterisation testwork on leach residues from the P80 75μm testwork, with the Master Composite returning a Net Neutralisation Potential Ratio of 0.67 and a Net Acid Producing Potential of 42.00kg H₂SO₄/t.

Caprice stated that follow up metallurgical programmes are in the advanced stages of planning, with the follow up programme set to test composites constructed to represent potential mill feed and include additional tests required for third party mill assessment, together with comminution and variability testwork across additional composite samples.

Caprice stated that the initial metallurgical testwork programme completed on the Vadrians Master Composite confirmed that the mineralisation is highly amenable to conventional gravity and carbon in leach processing.

The company stated that the composite sample delivered strong overall recoveries, rapid leach kinetics and moderate reagent consumption, consistent with a conventional gold ore processing flowsheet.

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