Ardea Resources Achieves High Recoveries From Metallurgic Test Work
THE DRILL SERGEANT: Ardea Resources (ASX: ARL) carried out its first metallurgical testwork on four metallurgical samples selected from the Big Four Gold resource, located on a granted mining lease within the company’s Goongarrie nickel cobalt project (GNCP), outside Kalgoorlie in Western Australia.
Ardea Resources explained the laboratory testwork, using industry standard (gravity-leach) procedures, achieved very high gold recoveries of nearly 98 per cent under conditions and reagent consumptions matching industry norms.
Although presently at a scoping study level, the company considers the results to be highly encouraging, suggesting they indicate the resource has potential to achieve reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction of gold.
“Excellent results from the first ever metallurgical test work at the Big Four Gold project mark another significant step towards development of Ardea’s evolving gold assets,” Ardea Resources managing director Andrew Penkethman said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.
“High recoveries and a lack of deleterious elements are exactly what any miner would want, and we have achieved that here at Big Four Gold.
“It also shows what can be achieved in WA during these difficult times, with Ardea’s drilling, resource modelling, and now metallurgical testing of the Big Four Gold project all being completed since commencement in February 2020.
“Work remains to be done at Big Four Gold, but these excellent results mean that, should the deposit be developed, several options will be available.
“This will be strongly influenced by our ongoing drill programs at several targets in the GNCP, including the Aphrodite North area and follow-up drilling at Lady Charlotte.
“Ardea’s gold programs aim to assess individual targets in their own right.
“They also mark the first pass systematic assessment of a modelled gold camp, potentially comparable to the Paddington mining centre to the south or the Menzies mining centre to the north, hidden beneath transported cover within Ardea’s expansive mining and exploration tenure.
“Of course, definition of the gold potential throughout the GNCP benefits efficient development of the extensive nickel and cobalt resources whilst maximising potential returns for all stakeholders.”
Email: ardea@ardearesources.com.au
Web: www.ardearesources.com.au