Chesapeake Gold Corp. (TSXV: CKG | OTCQX: CHPGF) has announced initial metallurgical test results with up to 97% gold recoveries in standard bottle roll tests at its Lucy Project located in central Sinaloa, Mexico. Composite materials for the bottle roll tests were collected during a Phase 1 drill programme, consisting of eight holes along the identified 500m gold-bearing skarn corridor.
Jean-Paul Tsotsos, interim CEO, commented, “The Lucy discovery continues to shine as an exciting project in Chesapeake’s portfolio. These preliminary Lucy metallurgical results outline a simple, conventional processing pathway to gold doré. The next phase of exploration and drilling has commenced on Lucy to better evaluate the footprint and scale of this new discovery.”
Four holes were selected across the Lucy mineralized corridor for the initial metallurgical test work. Each individual hole was then sampled as a unique composite and sent to the SGS laboratory located in Durango, Mexico for analysis. At the lab, composite head grades were established through triplicate fire assay with AAS finish and a four-acid digestion with ICP finish. The composites were crushed and ground to 80% passing 75µm, and bottle roll tests were undertaken for 72 hours.
The results of this initial test work generally support that the mineralization is readily treatable with a standard CN tank leach in a carbon in leach carbon in pulp type process and outlines that up to 97% gold recoveries are achievable at Lucy. Furthermore, a duplicate set of the composites was rerun during a separate test of 96 hours and returned similar results within ±1% of the initial tests, affirming these positive results. In all cases maximum extractions for gold were achieved at 24 hours.
The Phase 2 exploration programme is underway at Lucy, which includes 10 HQ drill holes totalling 900m to extend the identified mineralization along the 500m gold-bearing skarn corridor to the Southwest, where untested trenches with mineralization outcrop at the surface. The drill programme will also test additional mineralized trenches within the corridor with the primary focus of delineating the dip direction of the mineralized skarn below the surface.
In addition, a reconnaissance mapping and geochemistry programme is being undertaken along the strike of the gold-bearing skarn corridor to guide future exploration. This programme includes soil, rock, and trench sampling to target the Northeast and Southwest extents of Lucy. Detailed mapping is underway to the Southwest to identify new skarn mineralization and geological structures.
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