Oxide And Leachable Sulphide Totals 630,000 Ounces
New Oroperu Resources Inc. (CVE:ORO) has released a gold resource estimate at its Tres Cruces Project in north-central Peru.
The estimate includes 425,000 ounces of oxide Au mineralisation (leachable) and 205,000 ounces of leachable gold sulphide mineralisation within a pit-constrained total Indicated Resource of 2.47 M. oz Au, which includes all Au-bearing oxide and sulphide mineralisation. Tres Cruces is 100% owned by New Oroperu, subject to a 1.5% Net Smelter Return.
Tres Cruces Highlights:
- Leachable Resources:
- 425,000 ounces of gold in oxide material at 1.37 g/t in the Indicated category, contained in 9,636,000 tonnes, using a 0.3 g/t Au cut-off
- 205,000 ounces of gold in leachable sulfide material at 1.12 g/t, in the Indicated category, contained in 5,707,000 tonnes, using a 0.3 g/t Au cut-off
- Total Mineral Resource:
- 2.474 million ounces of gold at 1.66 g/t in the Indicated category, contained in 46,475,000 tonnes of oxide and sulfide material. Non-leachable sulphide resources are estimated using 0.9 g/t Au cut-off.
- 104,000 ounces of gold at 1.26 g/t in the Inferred category, contained in 2,561,000 tonnes.
President, Wayne Livingstone, said the currently defined oxide mineralisation demonstrates the potential for an economic standalone heap leach operation, with depth expansion allowing extraction of leachable sulphides.
“This break-out of leachable resources suggests that a stand-alone development may be viable on Tres Cruces. We are excited to be taking control of the project and further advancing it through a production scenario,” Mr Livingstone said.
“We believe that the estimated leachable gold resources would have a meaningful role in any strategic advancement of the project by the Company.
“There are also opportunities for us to identify more leachable (oxide and sulphide) gold resources on Tres Cruces, and nearby, which would enhance project economics.
“In a potential production scenario, the oxide mineralisation would be processed first, followed by the leachable sulphides and thereafter the remaining sulphide material would be processed through a plant facility, to be developed at that time.
“We view this leachable mineralisation as a potential near term cash flow engine that could significantly offset the initial capital costs of any larger operation.”
“The proximity of Tres Cruces with Barrick’s nearby Lagunas Norte mine offers the possibility of operational synergies and this will be a factor for our consideration as we advance Tres Cruces.”
