Carnavale Resources Ltd (AXX: CAV) has completed a positive initial leach test work programme to provide information on potential gold recoveries at the McTavish East Prospect within the Kookynie Gold Project in Western Australia.
Samples were taken from Aircore drilling completed in September 2022 and RC drilling completed in May 2023 that identified high grade gold shoots at the Project.
Conventional leach test work has yielded recoveries of between 97 and 99%. Sixteen 200-250gm ore grade samples were selected and leach tested for 24 hours with outstanding results.
Samples were selected from Oxide and fresh rock material. Recoveries in the Oxide were 99% and in the fresh rock between 97% and 99%
Further metallurgical testwork planned to be completed by CAV to bolster these results including further leach testwork and gravity separation techniques.
Results from the latest 5000m+ RC drilling program chasing high-grade extensions to McTavish East are expected shortly.
The McTavish East deposit is a new discovery by CAV and has not been previously exploited. The deposit lies beneath a thin layer of cover consisting of transported material close to surface allowing for easy development.
Carnavale’s goal at the Kookynie Gold Project is to establish a quality high grade gold resource, of a similar size to the historic Cosmopolitan Mine, that can be trucked and processed at a nearby processing plant.
The initial metallurgical results from McTavish East are outstanding, indicating the potential of excellent gold recoveries from traditional cyanide leaching processes,” CEO Humphrey Hale said.
“CAV is excited to continue the test work with further leach testing and the addition of gravity separation techniques to enhance the processing options and potentially reduce operating costs.”
Sixteen 200-250g samples were taken from four separate high-grade gold intersections defined by aircore drilling in September 2022 and the RC drilling completed in May 2023. Samples were selected from aircore holes KOAC487 and KOAC488 in oxide and RC holes MERC043 and MERC044 in the fresh rock on the cross section 6,754,150mN. The samples were analysed by ALS laboratories in Perth, Western Australia.
Samples were pulverized (PUL-23) to 85% passing 75 micron (85% of the particles are smaller than 75 microns) and then subjected to a bottle roll cyanide leach for 24 hours using the ALS Assay tabs / Leachwell cyanide technique with an ICPMS analysis on the leach liquor to measure the leach grade (ME-CN15). The residue was filtered (FIL-01) and analysed by fire assay (Au-AA26R) for contained gold to establish the tail grade.