Gold and rare earth element (REE) exploration company Meeka Metals (ASX:MEK) reports it has received ‘exceptional’ gold recoveries averaging 98% following metallurgical test work at its 100% owned Murchison Gold Project in Western Australia.
The results, generated by metallurgical test work conducted at the St Anne’s prospect, have returned an average gravity gold (Au) recovery of 49% and a total gold recovery that ranged from 97% to 99.4% after 48 hours.
Results from this testing also demonstrate low leach residue tail grades in all tests, averaging 0.08g/t Au.
In addition, rapid leach kinetics demonstrated average recoveries of 91.1% after 4 hours and 94.7% after 8 hours residence time.
It is reported the metallurgical testwork was completed by independent metallurgical consultants ALS Metallurgy, and was designed to assess conventional carbon-in-leach (CIL) gold recovery for St Anne’s mineralisation at 150μm grind size.
Commenting on the results, Meeka Metals’ Managing Director, Tim Davidson says: “High gold recoveries, rapid leach kinetics and low cyanide consumption, coupled with the shallow, ‘high-grade’ oxide nature of the mineralisation, points to St Anne’s making a meaningful contribution to the Prefeasibility Study (PFS) due in mid-2023.
“High gold recoveries, rapid leach kinetics and low cyanide consumption, coupled with the shallow, ‘high-grade’ oxide nature of the mineralisation, points to St Anne’s making a meaningful contribution to the Prefeasibility study…”
With this in mind, the initial St Anne’s mineral resource remains on track for the March 2023 quarter, allowing the impact of this additional mineral resource on our other mining centres and mill sizing to be optimised.”
The company also notes that the positive metallurgy results pave the way for the St Anne’s prospect to provide a meaningful contribution to the Prefeasibility Study, which is scheduled in mid-2023.
Meanwhile, Meeka Metals announces its initial Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) for the St Anne’s prospect remains on track for delivery by the March quarter of 2023.
Meeka Metals is an ASX-listed gold and REE mineral explorer with a portfolio of high quality 100% owned projects situated within tenure across Western Australia. The company’s flagship Murchison project is located at the northern end of the Mount Magnet and Youanmi Shear Zones in Western Australia and includes a combined 343km-square land holding in the prolific Murchison Gold Fields.
The project currently boasts a 1.1 million ounce JORC compliant MRE, which the company is actively growing while also progressing towards production.
Other tenements within Meeka Metals’ arsenal include the Circle Valley Gold and Rare Earth Projects, as well as the Cascade Rare Earths Project in Western Australia.
Images: Meeka Metals Ltd & iStock
