Global projects and exploration
France
24g/t gold in Couflens rock chips
Rock chip samples collected from Apollo Minerals’ Couflens
Gold Project in France have identified widespread, high-
grade gold mineralisation, with grades of up to 24.50 grammes
per tonne (g/t). Apollo Minerals is undertaking a surface
exploration programme at Couflens, of which it owns 80%.
According to Apollo, numerous gold occurrences have been
confirmed around the historical Salau tungsten mine, on the margins
of the major granodiorite intrusion. These gold occurrences are
associated with fault structures and tungsten skarn mineralisation.
Furthermore, high-grade gold mineralisation has been identified
at the recently discovered gold occurrence located 500m west
of the granodiorite, which is not associated with tungsten.
Tailings samples from a historical tailings disposal area
returned grades up to 8.94g/t gold, confirming the presence of
gold associated with the tungsten ore mined during the latter
years of production at the historical Salau tungsten mine. The
exploration programme also recognised multiple fault structures
within the major granodiorite and their extensions, along strike
and at depth, which represent priority gold exploration targets.
Romania
Results support new open pit
Drilling results at AIM-listed Vast
Resources’ Carlibaba polymetallic prospect
in Romania, support the development of a
second opencast mine at its Manaila Mine.
The results are subject to an economic
assessment, but includes the addition of
a new metallurgical processing facility
on site, which would reduce Manaila’s
operational costs by about 25%. The results
at Carlibaba includes significant traces
of copper, lead, zinc, gold, and silver.
“The development of these twin
objectives, which we are looking to
fund through off-take debt finance, is
expected to increase throughput volumes
at Manaila considerably and materially
reduce operating costs, which should
significantly enhance profitability
in Romania moving forwards,” says
Roy Pitchford, CEO of Vast.
Namibia
Study confirms cost reductions
ASX-listed Bannerman Resources reports
that the company’s membrane study
has successfully progressed through the
initial test-work phase at the Etango
Heap Leach Demonstration Plant in
Namibia. The study has validated the
potential for further capital and operating
cost reductions at the uranium project.
Last year, Bannerman undertook a
processing optimisation study (Processing
OS), which reported a substantial decrease
[10] MINING MIRROR FEBRUARY 2018
in estimated capital costs and the potential
for significant reductions in operating
costs. The Processing OS also identified the
opportunity to incorporate nano-filtration
technology in the processing circuit.
A subsequent desktop study by the
Australian equipment vendors confirmed
this potential after reviewing analytical
data from the Etango Heap Leach
Demonstration Plant. A membrane pilot
test rig was mobilised to site to undertake
an initial test work programme, under
the supervision of Bannerman’s technical
team and the equipment vendors. The
test work used significant volumes of
pregnant leach solution obtained from the
operation of two cribs at the demonstration
plant. An IX process was then used
to make concentrated eluate solution,
which was also used in the test work.
Mexico
La Trinidad’s life extended
Canadian company Marlin Gold’s positive
results from its drilling programme at
the La Trinidad gold mine in Sinaloa,
Mexico, bodes well for the extension
of its mine life. Drilling targeted the
Colinas area, less than 1km from the
Taunus pit, which is within the permitted
mining boundary of La Trinidad.
According to Akiba Leisman, executive
chairperson and interim CEO at Marlin
Gold, the drilling at Colinas has focused on
an area that is amenable to opencast mining
along a south-east trending structural