Previous metallurgical testing suggested precious metal recoveries for three separate composites of two veins using standard bottle roll leach tests showing 98.9% for gold and 86.6% for silver. The new metallurgical test results show similar estimated recoveries for gold ranging from 98.4% to 98.9% and improved recoveries for silver ranging from 91.4% to 94.8%. Some 36.7% to 40.2% recoveries were obtained from gravity concentrate recoveries alone.
The tests were based on a conventional process flowsheet comprised of gravity concentration and intensive leaching followed by gravity tails standard leaching. An upcoming preliminary economic assessment (PEA) will use silver-equivalent recoveries about 4% lower than the average of three master composites until further detail test-work is completed in 2019.
"These impressive metallurgical test results confirm our gold metal recoveries and improve upon our silver metal recoveries at Las Chispas utilising composites covering most of the current resource.
"Low to high-grade mineralisation of greater than 2,000g/t silver-equivalent responded well with this chosen process showing high precious metal recoveries independent of grade," said COO Pierre Beaudoin.
Samples in this testwork consisted of mineralisation from surface to depth, low- to high-grade material and oxide to sulphide mineralisation. SilverCrest is continuing with detailed metallurgical test-work as it works towards making a mine construction decision in the first semester of 2020. Conceptually, the PEA process flowsheet is gravity recovery followed by intensive leaching of concentrate, conventional leaching of the gravity tails, and Merrill-Crowe CCD plant/refinery to produce silver-gold dore bars.
Shares in Silvercrest (TSXV:SIL) closed up almost 6% at C$4.34 Thursday, valuing the company at $370 million. Its share price has increased 12% so far this year.
