Avalon achieves high grade recoveries at Viscaria

THE DRILL SERGEANT: Avalon Minerals (ASX: AVI) released results of a review of all metallurgical test work completed to date on the company’s Viscaria copper-iron project in Sweden.

The review, by Ausenco Services, looked at metallurgical results from test program completed on the A Zone (copper mineralisation), B Zone (copper mineralisation) and D Zone (copper-magnetite mineralisation) prospects in 2010 to 2011.

 

Location of metallurgical drill holes in relation to the open pit shells
generated during the Viscaria copper-iron oroject Scoping Study
announced 9 July 2013. For scale, the D Zone open pit is approximately
1.1 kilometres long. Source: Company announcement

 

Avalon explained the he test work activities on the mineralisation zones included:

Comminution (competency and hardness);

Flotation (bulk and cleaner, with and without regrind);

Magnetic separation (Low Intensity Magnetic Separation and Davis Tube); and

Selected size-by-size analytical and mineralogy test work.

Avalon reported that overall, mineralisation from the A Zone, B Zone and D Zone prospects responded well to conventional mineral processing methods.

Flotation test work achieved 94 per cent copper recovery for D Zone at 26 per cent copper grade and 80 per cent copper recovery for A Zone and B Zone at concentrate grade of 23 per cent copper.

Magnetic separation tests on D Zone float tails for magnetite beneficiation produced a concentrate grade of 70 per cent iron with low impurity levels.

Avalon indicated that at this stage, no metallurgical test work has been done on the copper sulphide-magnetite mineralisation from the Discovery Zone prospect.

The company did however, note distinct similarities in mineralogy with D Zone (chalcopyrite the dominant copper sulphide) indicating the Discovery Zone mineralisation may have similar metallurgical characteristics to D Zone for both copper and magnetite products.

“The results of this metallurgical test work demonstrate that we can produce high quality products of copper sulphide concentrate and magnetite concentrate,” Avalon Minerals managing director Malcolm Norris said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“These results are from on-going test work and follow-up testing is planned to optimise and further develop processing strategies.”

Avalon said the Ausenco review has recommended a number of follow-up tests for the next phase of metallurgical studies.

These are expected to be undertaken in 2015, based on samples to be collected during the company’s 2014-15 winter drilling program.

Tests will include comminution, flotation, and magnetic separation.

Avalon anticipates further magnetic separation test work is expected to be carried out to assess the magnetic separation performance for the Discovery Zone mineralisation and for rougher tailings at different primary grind sizes.

Email: info@avalonminerals.com.au

Website: www.avalonminerals.com.au