Alto Metals (ASX:AME) has achieved gold recovery up to 97% from gravity separation and cyanide leaching at the Indomitable deposit, part of the Sandstone Gold Project in Western Australia.
The announcement comes after Alto engaged with privately held Independent Metallurgical Operations to manage sighter metallurgical testwork on composite reverse circulation drill samples from Indomitable.
Alto Metals, which has a market capitalisation of $46.17 million, says testwork returned a high gravity gold recovery of 64.8% and achieved a gold recovery up to 97% at a coarse grind of 150um.
The company says the testwork completed to date suggests all deposits within the Sandstone Project are amenable to conventional cyanide extraction.
Managing Director Matthew Bowles says the testwork demonstrates that primary mineralisation within the fresh rock has “excellent” overall recoveries.
“Importantly, the testwork confirms the material can be processed using conventional gravity and cyanide leaching, further de-risking the Indomitable deposit and the Sandstone Gold Project,” Bowles says.
Alto Metals is also planning a 3,500m reverse circulation drilling program to test extensional targets outside the current mineral resources defined at Vanguard, Ladybird, and Bull Oak deposits.
The program also includes first-pass drilling at the new Lightning prospect.
The Sandstone Project covers 740km2 of the Sandstone Greenstone Belt and currently has an optimised, open-pit constrained mineral resource estimate of 832,000 ounces of gold at 1.5 grams per tonne.
Alto Metals is an advanced gold explorer focused on its wholly owned Sandstone Project in the East Murchison region of Western Australia.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Alto Metals
