thanks for the info. I suppose what i mean is if Catabola does have some areas of 2g/t gold in the ground, it would be worthwhile to modify any planned processing plant to include a gravity circuit (if native gold) at a low marginal cost to recover the gold. It would be a very good supplement to revenue similar to some other places. If it is sulphidic, flotation is the way to go and sell the copper con w. minor gold to a smelter. I don't think Cityview has the cap. to get a smelter just yet.
Copper mines generally have to be high grade or very large low grade deposits to compete as there are some whopper deposits out there producing massive tonnages of Cu. So either you get big (drive margin costs right down for big initial outlay) or have a comp advantage like a high grade deposit. Or receive gold credits.
The pictures of the copper indicate two things to me (Im not an expert in these matters so quite possibly wrong) Note: Azurite and malachite are oxides of copper, specifically hydrated oxycarbonates. 1. Surface weathering of a massive copper sulphide deposit leads to oxidation/carbonation exposure at the surface, with the primary sulphide body below 2. Subsurface alteration eg carbonation of copper from limestones or intrusion exhalation as an influence which would result in a completely serpentinised orebody. In short, all copper is in oxide form. Or a mixture of 1 & 2.
No 2 would be more expensive to process but easier to mine. No 1 - harder material = slower blast/load/crush/mill rates, but also more competent allowing for steeper open cut walls so less waste to be dug.
I'm excited about this, and agree with you t4 that the elevation will make mining/processing costs lower. If you bring the ore to plain level before milling, you have full trucks on the way down from the mine, empty trucks on the way up = lower diesel costs.
If you crush and mill up on the Catabola mound, and have a tailings dam on the flat, the tailings pumping cost (it is where the majority of the dirt ends up) is vastly reduced.
Plus the weathering movement of the pronounced 'hill' would mean less overburden material needs to be moved before reaching the main orebody.
Anyway I'm already out on a (very thin) limb here with these guesses, can't do much more without more data.
Long term holder.
CVI Price at posting:
0.0¢ Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Held
