THEMAC Resources Announces a Design Milling Rate ITHEMAC Resources Group Limited
TSX VENTURE : MAC
March 20, 2012 07:00 ET
THEMAC Resources Announces a Design Milling Rate Increase up to 25,000 TPD at Copper Flat
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - March 20, 2012) -THEMAC Resources Group Limited (TSX VENTURE:MAC) ("THEMAC" or the "Company") today announced that the ongoing metallurgical testing program being conducted in connection with the preparation of the preliminary feasibility study for the Copper Flat Property, has confirmed an enhanced processing plant size based upon existing plant infrastructure and ore characteristics. The test work, being conducted at the directive of Tucson-based M3 Engineering and Technology Corporation, has also presented encouraging results in the area of optimized copper, molybdenum and gold recoveries.
Highlights:
- Existing infrastructure includes foundations from existing crushing and grinding equipment. To take advantage of these structures, and meet the processing plant needs, grinding test work conducted by Hazen Research, Inc. was completed on a large core sample from Copper Flat. The resulting data was modeled and interpreted by Control Systems Services. These results indicate that the grinding circuit proposed will, if installed and operating at full capacity, be capable of processing approximately 25,000 short tons per day (tpd). This represents a designed increase, utilizing the currently installed foundations, of 8,000 tpd over the milling rate originally anticipated in the Company's preliminary assessment previously announced in July, 2010.
- Ongoing test work at Mineral Advisory Group R&D, LLC for the flotation of ore types shows very encouraging preliminary results. This has the potential to enhance the historical 90 percent mill recoveries for copper and silver. Future work will focus on finalizing reagent suites and directing specific reagent types toward improving molybdenum recovery rates over historical test work. Test parameters are also in place to investigate gold recovery improvements in the flotation process.
- Results from a mineralogy review for gold deportment by G & T Resources Ltd. of the mineralization at Copper Flat have been received. The Automatic Digital Image System review indicates that an opportunity exists to increase gold recovery through gravity separation. A test protocol is in progress with FL Smith Knelson Concentrators to fully quantify the increase in gold recoveries.
- Settling and rheological characterization tests are scheduled with Pocock International, Inc. to validate the sizing of process equipment and previous test work completed in this area.
"Initial metallurgical test work results for Copper Flat are very exciting," said Andre J. Douchane, CEO. "Increasing design throughput from 17,500 tpd, from our June 2010 PEA, to 25,000 tpd, while keeping the same mill foundation footprint, is a real win for the project. This potential increase in throughput will impact the project's payback of capital expenditures and profitability in a very positive way. The enhanced gold recovery potential seen in these test results is also very encouraging, leading us to believe that gold will be a major contributor to the project's economics."
The continuing metallurgical test work is scheduled to be completed during second quarter of 2012, in time to be included in the Copper Flat prefeasibility study.