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Argentex: Excellent recovery of gold and silver from preliminary metallurgical testing on Pinguino
Argentex: Excellent recovery of gold and silver from preliminary metallurgical testing on Pinguino
About this update from Atex Resources Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"\n\n\n\n May 25, 2010 (Canada NewsWire Group) -- Argentex Mining Corporation (TSX-V: ATX, OTCBB: AGXM) is pleased to announce results from its preliminary metallurgical testing program. This is part of the company's ongoing Preliminary Economic Assessment (scoping study) of the Pinguino project, which is scheduled for completion at the end of the current quarter.\n"We are encouraged by the results of these preliminary metallurgical tests as they are the first indication of potential recoveries at Pinguino," said Ken Hicks, President of Argentex. "We view these results as a positive step in our efforts to advance the Pinguino project as we continue working to determine the economic viability of the deposit."\nTwo different types of mineralization believed to be representative of the mineralization at Pinguino were selected for study: oxide precious metal and primary polymetallic sulphide. Independent engineering and metallurgical specialists developed and implemented test programs carried out at an independent laboratory.\n\nResults\n\nGold extraction by cyanide leaching of samples of oxide ore from three mineralized zones were high, ranging from approximately 95 to 98 percent. Silver extractions ranged between 74 and 96 percent. The three samples tested had gold feed grades ranging from 0.34 to approximately 14 grams per tonne (g/t). The silver contents in the feed ranged from approximately 260 to 726 g/t. The proportion of feed gold, which reported to the pan concentrate, was variable but quite high for Marta Este and Marta Norte. On average approximately 65 percent of the feed gold was recovered to the pan concentrate for the Marta Este composite. Each sample was tested at a target primary grind for particle sizing of 100 and 150 microns K80, which is a relatively coarse grind.\nSulphide mineralization was tested with a selected sample from Marta Centro, the largest polymetallic vein discovered to date on the Pinguino property. Recoveries of lead and zinc were favourable with more than 90 percent recoveries to their respective concentrates and 60 percent of silver reporting to the lead concentrate. The sample was ground to a nominal 102 microns K80.\nIndium assays remain to be completed and are in process now.\n\nScope of work for preliminary metallurgical testing at Pinguino\n\nThe scope of work for the ox...