Base and precious metals exploration company Eastern Metals (ASX:EMS) reports metallurgical testwork conducted on 2 composite samples from diamond drill core at Browns Reef has shown ‘high-grade’ base metal concentrates.
Eastern Metals notes that it expects ‘high-grade’ zinc and lead concentrates with ‘good’ metal recoveries from the Browns Reef polymetallic base metal sulphide deposit in the Cobar Basin, located near Lake Cargelligo in Central Western New South Wales.
The separate zinc and lead concentrates should be easily marketed, the company says.
Metallurgical testwork was conducted on 2 composite samples of base metal sulphide mineralisation intersected in holes drilled some years ago by a previous owner of the company’s Browns Reef polymetallic base metal project.
Metallurgical testwork showed that zinc and lead recoveries to concentrates of over 80% could be expected
This work showed that zinc and lead recoveries to concentrates of over 80% could be expected.
Flotation tests showed that concentrates with 55-60% metal content could be achieved for both zinc and lead. Silver mostly reports to the lead concentrate and copper predominately to the zinc concentrate.
The company reports that metal recoveries to concentrate and the grades of the zinc and lead concentrate are in line with the best performing Australian base metal operations. The concentrates should be readily saleable to smelters.
Eastern Metals intends to conduct additional metallurgical testwork on samples collected from its own drilling at its recently discovered Evergreen zone at Browns Reef. Typical metal grades at Evergreen are higher than the grades of the composite samples tested by the previous owner.
Metallurgical performance may be better due to the higher-grade mineralisation.
Eastern Metals is base and precious metals exploration company. It recently acquired 2 new projects, the Arunta Project at Barrow Creek in the Northern Territory, and the Browns Reef deposit that forms part of its Cobar Project in NSW.
The company also have a third project, the Thomson Project, which is a little different to the other 2 in that there it does not have resource or near-resource status, but there are well defined targets for drill testing that does not require significant investment in grassroots exploration because much of that work has already been done by others.
Write to Adam Orlando at Mining.com.au
Images: Eastern Metals Ltd
