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Prelim Metallurgical Results
Prelim Metallurgical Results.
About this update from Metals Exploration Plc
[{"type":"text","content":"\n Metals Exploration PLC\n31 January 2007\n\n METALS EXPLORATION PLC\n\n PRELIMINARY METALLURGICAL RESULTS - RUNRUNO PROJECT\n\nLondon 31 January 2007: Metals Exploration PLC ('the Company') is pleased to \nannounce preliminary results from the metallurgical testwork currently being \ncarried out on two composite samples representing mineralization from the \ntransition and fresh zone in the Runruno deposit. The testwork is being \ncompleted at an independent metallurgical laboratory in Australia under the \ndirect supervision of an independent metallurgical consultant.\n\nRUNRUNO PROJECT - METALLURGICAL TESTWORK\n\nPreliminary tests on the fresh composite using a combination of gravity\nconcentration followed by flotation have yielded gold recoveries of 92%.\n\nPreliminary tests involving gravity concentration followed by cyanide leaching\nhave yielded gold recoveries of 55 to 60%. This indicates that the gold is\npartly refractory, with the unrecovered gold probably being locked within\nsulphides.\n\nThe high gold recovery obtained by flotation is encouraging since flotation is\nthe preliminary processing stage used in the treatment of refractory gold ores.\n\nTests are currently in progress to assess:\n(i) whether finer grinding will increase the gold recovery achievable by both \ngravity concentration/cyanide leaching and gravity concentration/flotation;\n(ii) the percentage of gold locked within sulphides; and\n(iii) the gold recovery that can be achieved by gravity concentration\nfollowed by flotation and then ultra-fine grinding and leaching of the flotation\nconcentrate.\n\nThe calculated gold head grades obtained in the tests completed so far on both\ncomposites exceed the expected composite grades calculated from the exploration\nassays due to the presence of coarse gold. This indicates that current announced\nestimates of the gold grade of the resource from diamond drilling have not been\nover-estimated, although a far larger statistical sample will be needed before\nany thought could be given to adjusting the grade of the resource as a whole.\n\nThe first round of metallurgical testwork on molybdenum recovery has been less\nsuccessful, and testwork using alternative methods is ongoing. Samples have been\nsent for mineralogical examination to determine the form in which the molybdenum\noccurs and its grain size.\n\nC...