MAE 2019 XRT Sorting Experiment
This was 6 years ago and sorting efficacy has gotten a lot better..note the grades
Xxxxx
MARITIME REPORTS POSITIVE METALLURGICAL TEST RESULTS USING ORE SORTING TECHNOLOGY AT HAMMERDOWN
TORONTO, ON – Maritime Resources Corp. (MAE-TSX Venture, “Maritime” or the “Company”) is pleased to report positive metallurgical test results using ore sorting technology for its 100% owned, high-grade Hammerdown development project where the Company realized 40% rejection and 97% Gold recovery.
Maritime’s Hammerdown gold project is located near the Baie Verte Mining District and Springdale, Newfoundland and Labrador. The Hammerdown deposit is characterized by a number of near-vertical, narrow mesothermal quartz veins containing gold in pyrite. Hammerdown was last operated by Richmont Mines between 2000-2004 producing 143,000 ounces of gold at an average mine grade of 15.7 gpt Au through a combination of narrow vein open pit & underground mining.
“Our recent metallurgical test work was successful in determining a process that can concentrate the sulphide mineralization at Hammerdown while achieving high gold recoveries” adds Garett Macdonald, President and CEO. “A gold deposit like Hammerdown is well suited to modern ore sorting technologies where a combination of X-Ray transmission (XRT) and laser sensors can effectively identify and separate sulphide mineralization from waste rock.
As the gold at Hammerdown is contained in sulphides this innovative technology has the potential to concentrate the mineralization while discarding unwanted dilution.
The result is a higher precious metal grade and lower volume of feed that is more cost effectively mined, transported and processed. Based on these encouraging results and with additional confirmatory test work we will look at incorporating this technology into the Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) update for Hammerdown and testing mineralization from our other projects, like Whisker Valley, where high grade sulphide veins similar to Hammerdown were recently discovered”.
Discussion of Results
Test work during Q1 2019 was conducted at Steinert’s Kentucky ore sorting facility on approximately 1,000 kg of metallurgical sample collected from the J vein at the existing Hammerdown open pit. A process involving both XRT and laser sorting was used to successfully separate the sulphide mineralization from the waste rock. Details of the program are highlighted below;
- A sample from the Hammerdown open pit weighing 993 kg grading 11.09 gpt Au was used at the basis for the test work
- Sample was crushed and screened into two size fractions;
- Fines: -12mm (200 kg grading x), not subjected to ore sorting process
- Coarse: 12-50mm (793 kg grading 9.75 gpt Au), reporting to the ore sorting process
- The coarse fraction was processed through a commercial sized ore sorting plant utilizing two sorting strategies simultaneously;
- XRT employed to separate higher density mineralization containing sulphides
- Laser utilized to identify and discard darker wall rocks that contain no mineralization
- A scavenger step, using the same sorting plant and algorithm, was also utilized on the waste fraction from the first step to capture any rocks that were not selected previously.
- Results of the test work on the coarse fraction indicate approximately 60% mass pull (40% rejection rate) with 97% gold recovery;
- Sorted material weighed 474 kg grading 15.87 gpt Au
- Reject material weighed 318 kg grading 0.62 gpt Au
- Combined with the ROM fine material, the feed that would report to the process plant would be 675 kg grading approximately 16.02 gpt Au, representing a feed grade increase of 44% with an overall gold recovery of 98.2% and a 32% reject rate
Additional variability test work is planned over the coming months on other mineralized veins from the Hammerdown deposit as well as Maritime’s other projects, Orion and Whisker Valley.
Figure 1. Vibrating feeder to transfer conveyor
Figure 2. Steinert KSS sorter with XRT colour laser induction
About Maritime Resources Corp.:
Maritime Resources holds a 100% interest in the Green Bay Property, including the former Hammerdown gold mine, located near the Baie Verte Mining District and Springdale, Newfoundland and Labrador. The Green Bay Property hosts resource estimates on two deposits, the Hammerdown and the Orion deposits.
Hammerdown contains measured and indicated resources of 925,670 tonnes grading 10.6 gpt for 315,535 ounces of gold and inferred resources of 1,557,000 tonnes grading 7.53 gpt for 377,000 ounces of gold.
The Orion deposit contains measured and indicated resources of 1,096,500 tonnes grading 4.47 gpt for 157,600 ounces of gold and inferred resources of 1,288,000 tonnes grading 5.44 gpt for 225,300 ounces.