Early positive metallurgical results on
Maun Copper Project in Botswana
New test work has indicated strong potential for a premium quality copper concentrate to be
produced by Brisbane-based Discovery Metals Limited (ASX:DML) from its Maun Copper Project in
northwest Botswana.
Final results are expected in about six weeks from metallurgical test work currently in progress on
copper-silver mineralisation samples from Maun. These samples are being assessed as part of the
project’s pre-feasibility study which commenced earlier this month.
Metallurgical Test Work Highlights
• Initial results from the new test work on the Maun copper-silver mineralisation have
confirmed historical metallurgical results and indicate a premium quality copper concentrate
grading in the range of 35-42% Cu is capable of being produced;
• Copper recoveries on copper-silver mineralisation from the main Zeta Prospect at Maun are
excellent at 95% and previous work has shown that silver recoveries are 80%.
Discovery Metal’s Managing Director, Mr Jeremy Read, said that the initial results obtained from the
Maun Project’s new metallurgical tests were very positive as they indicate that a high grade coppersilver
concentrate should be achieved with excellent recovery rates.
“Historical metallurgical test work on copper-silver mineralisation from the Zeta Prospect on the Maun
Copper Project showed that it is possible to produce a premium grade copper concentrate in excess
of 40% copper, with an excellent recovery rate of 95%,” Mr Read said.
“Our initial results from Maun are very consistent with the earlier metallurgical test results, suggesting
it should to be possible to produce a very high quality copper-silver concentrate using a simple
processing flow sheet,” he said.
“If the final metallurgical test results are consistent with the historical test results, as our initial results
have been, then the copper concentrate from the Maun Project should be well sought after due to its
significantly higher than average copper content and its silver credits.”
Maun Copper Project Metallurgical test Work
Discovery Metals has contracted Brisbane-based HRL Testing Pty Ltd (“HRL”) to undertake
metallurgical flotation test work on samples of copper-silver mineralisation from the Zeta and Petra
Inferred Mineral Resources on the Maun Copper Project. Of the total resource base on the Maun
Copper Project, Zeta comprises 86% of the total resource base and Petra 14%. The goal of the test
work is to confirm the results from historical metallurgical test work completed on the Maun Project in
1978 by Outokumpu. The metallurgical test work currently being completed by HRL forms a part of
the Maun pre-feasibility study which commenced earlier this month.
Drill core samples from the Zeta and Petra Inferred Resources were selected to provide a degree of
spatial coverage of the two mineralized zones, and were combined for testing purposes into a
composite grade sample, similar to that anticipated from the mineable resource. Preliminary flotation
work was undertaken over a range of grind sizes at the HRL laboratory.
In rougher flotation testing copper-silver mineralisation from the Zeta Prospect gave near identical
performance to the results achieved in the previous work conducted by Outokumpu. The recovery of
copper was 95% to a 12% copper rougher concentrate grade, which is excellent for a preliminary
test. Cleaner flotation work is underway on the Zeta samples to define the final recovery and product
grade. In the 1978 Outokumpu test the final concentrate contained 35-42% Cu, at 92-94% recovery
and 450g/t silver at 80% recovery. The Outokumpu test was completed on a composite sample of
mineralisation from the Zeta Prospect grading 1.6% Cu and 23g/t Ag.
The preliminary test results received to date indicate that it is probable the HRL test work will
produce a final concentrate with similar copper and silver grades to that produced by the earlier
Outokumpu testing. Furthermore, the Zeta copper-silver mineralisation may be amenable to
processing via a simple flow sheet with a two stage cleaning process.
Copper-silver mineralisation from the Petra Inferred Mineral Resource ore returned lower copper
recoveries of 78%. This appears to be attributable to partial oxidation of the samples, as the
samples were taken from 40m down-hole depth. The Petra Resource contributes only 14% to the
total copper-silver resource base on the Maun Project. The final results from the first phase of
metallurgical test work are expected in four to six weeks time
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