Meeka Metals Limited (ASX: MEK) has obtained metallurgical test work results confirming gold recoveries averaging 98% for St Anne’s, part of the Murchison Gold Project in Western Australia.
The programme assessed conventional carbon-in-leach (CIL) gold recovery for St Anne’s mineralisation at 150μm grind size.
Key results from the test work were:
- Total gold recovery ranged from 97.0% to 99.4% (average 97.9%) after 48 hours.
- Gravity gold recovery ranged from 28.9% to 82.1% (average 48.5%). Rapid leach kinetics with average recoveries of 91.1% achieved after four hours and 94.7% after eight hours residence time.
- Low leach residue tail grades for all tests (average 0.08g/t Au).
- Low cyanide consumption for all tests.
- Moderate lime consumption in one test.
The programme was completed by independent metallurgical consultants, ALS Metallurgy.
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 Pre-feasibility Study due in mid-2023,” Meeka Managing Director Tim Davidson said.
“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 is completing a Pre-feasibility Study for the 1.1Moz Mineral Resource, 100% owned Murchison Gold Project. The study contemplates underground mining at Andy Well, and both open pit and underground mining at Turnberry.
In addition, the St Anne’s discovery is rapidly being advanced through drilling, metallurgical test work and an initial Mineral Resource, to be reported in the March 2023 quarter for its inclusion in the study. The Pre-feasibility Study will be released in June 2023.
The following activities are currently progressing in conjunction with Pre-feasibility Study to expand the 1.1Moz Mineral Resource:
- Updated Mineral Resource for Turnberry, to be reported in December 2022, incorporating 16,213m of drilling completed since the previous Mineral Resource update in the June 2021 quarter.
- Extensional AC and RC drilling at St Anne’s and Turnberry currently underway with assays being released periodically as they are received over the coming months.
- Initial Mineral Resource for St Anne’s to be reported in the March 2023 quarter, incorporating +30,000m of drilling completed at St Anne’s since June 2022.
