Roxgold achieves strong recoveries at the Séguéla gold project

John Dorward, President and CEO commented: "The progression of the Séguéla Gold Project, the second development project for Roxgold, is advancing very well. The deposit at Antenna is simple and wide and the metallurgical testwork programme indicates the potential for high recoveries. The PEA process is off to a strong start and we look forward to tabling the results in 4Q19."

Metallurgical testwork programme

A comprehensive programme targeting composite based design work and variability extraction testwork was conducted by ALS Ammtec in Western Australia. ALS Ammtec is independent of the company.

Samples tested for Antenna were reasonably competent with Bond Rod and Ball Mill Work Indices of 22.7kWh/t and 19.7 kWh/t respectively, being amenable to a simple comminution circuit design.

 

The mineralised material tested exhibited a degree of grind sensitivity with an optimal grind size of 75 micron being selected for all extraction testwork. The results of that programme, which tested 14 separate samples from Antenna, were very encouraging, indicating potential for free milling of the mineralised material with good leach kinetics and overall extractions.

 

Geology

The company recently released a maiden NI 43-101 Indicated Mineral Resource estimate of 496 000 oz at 2.4 grams of gold per tonne (g/t Au) and an Inferred Mineral Resource estimate of 34 000 ounces at 2.4 g/t Au for the Antenna deposit at Séguéla announced on 11 July 2019. Please refer to the company's technical report entitled ‘NI 43-101 Technical Report Séguéla Project, Worodougou Region, Côte d'Ivoire’, which has an effective date of 19 March 2019, for further details.

Extension and infill drilling results at the Antenna deposit, subsequent to the completion of the Mineral Resource estimate indicating the potential for growth of the mineral resource base, were announced previously. Please refer to the company's press release dated 15 July 2019 for further details with respect to the drilling results, which included the following highlights:

• 5.4 g/t Au over 21 m in reverse circulation (RC) hole SGRC222. 
• 5.2 g/t Au over 37 m in RC hole SGRC223. 
• 3.3 g/t Au over 11 m in RC hole SGRC198; and
• 1.8 g/t Au over 30 m in diamond drill hole SGRD202.

Drilling is ongoing at several nearby satellite deposits including Boulder and Agouti. These prospects are within four kilometres of the Antenna based processing plant and could potentially be included in the PEA production schedule.

Recent results from Boulder were announced on 15 July 2019, and included the following highlights:

• 3.03 g/t Au over 11 m, including 9.19 g/t Au over 3m from RC hole SGRC207; and
• 1.71 g/t Au over 19 m in RC hole SGRC211.

Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA)

With the current phase of extension drilling at Antenna wrapping up, pit optimisations and designs are underway with CSA Mining Consultants. The resultant schedules are being provided to several prominent West African based mining contractors for detailed pricing based on those plans.

Lycopodium Minerals in Canada has commenced a processing plant and infrastructure design study that will incorporate the results from the abovementioned metallurgical testwork programme into what is expected to be a relatively straightforward flowsheet.  Lycopodium will provide operating and capital cost estimates for the processing operation based upon its extensive experience in Côte d'Ivoire where it has built several similar scale projects in recent years.

 

Knight Peisold in Australia has commenced design and costing of the tailings storage facility and water harvesting and storage systems for the project. The project is considered to be endowed with favourable topography in relation to these important infrastructure assets.

Activities for environmental baselining are well advanced with local consultant CECAF. Similarly, community baseline and land access studies are well advanced utilising PAH Consulting out of Abidjan. These components will be used in the PEA but will also form the basis of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment to be filed in Côte d'Ivoire to advance mine permitting.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/mining/30072019/roxgold-achieves-excellent-recoveries-at-the-sgula-gold-project/