La Ronge Gold Captures Up to 93% Gold Recovery in a Flotation-Concentrate and Up to 72% Gold in a Gravity-Concentrate
HIGHLIGHTS
- Two samples of mineralized drill core from the Preview SW deposit indicate total gold recovery in concentrate ranging from 90 to 93%
- Significant portion of the gold in the Preview SW Deposit occurs as free gold and is available for recovery using gravity processes
- Gravity concentrates capture 52 to 72% of the free gold
- Sufficiently high-grade flotation-concentrates can be produced to allow for the evaluation of shipping the concentrate to a third-party treatment facility
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 06/03/13 -- La Ronge Gold Corp. (TSX VENTURE: LAR)
La Ronge Gold Corp. is pleased to report on recently completed metallurgical testing of sample materials from the Preview SW deposit, located in northern Saskatchewan, Canada.
Metallurgical testing was commissioned by ALS Metallurgy of Kamloops, B.C., to provide a preliminary assessment of the gold recovery potential of two samples of gold-bearing materials from the Preview deposit. Test work included ore characterization, gravity recovery, and flotation test work. A final report of this test work has been completed, dated May 27, 2013, and is filed on SEDAR. The highlights of the test work results are as follows:
Ore Characterization
Two distinct samples of gold-bearing material were collected from two of the five zones of gold mineralization defined at the Preview SW Deposit. Each sample consisted of between 43 and 57 kg of split core that was selected to be representative of the average grade of the deposit. These samples were tested and assay results are summarized in the following table.
Summary of Metallurgical Sample Analysis
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Au Ag As Fe S
Sample (g/t) (g/t) (%) (%) (%) SO4 (%)
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Zone 102 3.43 1 0.63 3.6 0.47 0.02
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Zone 104 2.53 1 0.17 3.1 0.33 0.01
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Ore characterization work also included Automated Digital Imaging System (ADIS) for the examination of gold occurrences within the materials. This provides confirmation of the presence of free gold and gold associations, which is key to understanding the gold deportment within a metallurgical process. ADIS results show a significant portion of the gold in the Preview Deposit occurs as free gold and available for recovery using gravity processes. Approximately 45 percent of the gold in the Zone 102 sample was observed as "liberated or free gold," while approximately 30 percent of the gold occurrences in Zone 104 were observed to be the same. A majority of the unliberated gold had strong associations with arsenopyrite, pyrite, and bismuth minerals, which will benefit gold recovery in a flotation process. Two photomicrographs are shown below of gold occurrences in the Preview SW Deposit materials.
Detailed Metallurgical Test Results
Detailed gold recovery test work culminated in the completion of locked cycle testing of a proposed gravity and flotation process for the recovery of gold into a gravity concentrate and a flotation concentrate. Gold recovery results are summarized in the following table.
Summary of Locked Cycle Test Results
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Gravity Concentrate Flotation Concentrate
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Overall
Sample Mass Au Au Rec. Mass Au Au Rec. Rec.
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% g/t % % g/t % %
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Zone 102 1.10 235 72 0.70 119 21 93
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Zone 104 0.70 181 52 0.60 165 38 90
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These test results confirm that flotation concentrates of sufficiently high grade can be produced to allow for the evaluation of shipping the concentrate to a third-party treatment facility and facilitate taking advantage of reduced capital requirement at the Preview SW Deposit site. It is contemplated that leaching or smelting of the flotation concentrate could be undertaken at nearby gold leaching facilities, or the concentrate could be shipped to a smelter for blending into copper or lead smelter feed.
Mr. Rasool Mohammad stated, "These test results provide a basis for ongoing confidence in the Preview project. With simplified process options available, we believe the project will benefit from lower capital requirements, reduced operating costs, and a simplified operational plan relative to other gold projects. The Preview project remains an exciting opportunity for La Ronge Gold Corp."
About the Preview SW Gold Deposit:
As reported in a News Release dated December 3, 2012, the Preview SW gold deposit hosts gold resources as summarized in the table below, using the base case estimate at a gold cut-off grade of 0.5 grams per tonne gold (g/t Au):
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Preview SW Gold Resources
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Category Tonnes Au g/t Contained oz Au
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INDICATED 1,958,400 2.12 138,100
INFERRED 3,714,600 2.09 257,300
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The deposit remains open in all directions.
These mineral resources are in the process of being updated to reflect the results of the recently completed winter drilling program.
There are six known gold prospects on the Property: from north to south they are Preview North, C, B, Preview SW, Clearwater A, and Clearwater B. In all prospects, structurally controlled mesothermal lode gold is found in quartz veins within or on the margins of sheared dioritic-gabbroic sills and is associated with sulphides. The area of diorite-gabbro sills extends for 5200 m in a northeast-southwest direction across the property and reaches approximately 200 m in width.
The main Preview SW deposit is comprised of several sub-parallel northeast-trending gold-bearing structural (shear) zones. The shears trend north-easterly (020 degrees to 045 degrees ) and are steeply dipping. The en-echelon 1 to 10 m-wide structures are persistent at depth, and the zones bifurcate and merge at depth and along their length. The shears comprise major and minor shears that splay out and merge to form "horses" of un-deformed rock within the shear zone.
This metallurgical work was supervised by Jeffrey B. Austin, P. Eng., a Qualified Person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101, who has reviewed the technical information in this News Release. The remaining technical data in this Release has been reviewed by Gordon Davidson, P. Geol., the Company's Vice President of Exploration and a Qualified Person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101.
About La Ronge Gold Corp.
La Ronge Gold is a Vancouver-based rapidly advancing gold-resource growth and development company, focused on the expansion of high-grade gold deposits in one of Canada's emerging gold producing regions, the La Ronge Gold Belt, northern Saskatchewan. The Company has significant land positions (52,932 Ha. or 131,000 acres) in the region. The Company also holds other gold projects located in Ontario, including Old Cabin Project near Wawa. This property is adjacent to the Island Gold Mine where Richmont Mines recently added a new high grade Inferred Mineral Resources of 508,000 ounces Au at a grade of 10.73 g/t Au.
For more information about La Ronge Gold Corp., please go to www.larongegold.com.
FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
This News Release includes forward-looking information and statements, which may include, but are not limited to, information and statements regarding or inferring the future business, operations, financial performance, prospects and other plans, intentions, expectations, estimates, and beliefs of the Company. Information and statements which are not purely historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information and statements involve and are subject to assumptions and known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual events, results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future events, results, performance, and achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking information and statements herein. Although the Company believes that any forward-looking information and statements herein are reasonable, in light of the use of assumptions and the significant risks and uncertainties inherent in such information and statements, there can be no assurance that any such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, and accordingly readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such risks and uncertainties and should not place undue reliance upon such forward-looking information and statements. Any forward-looking information and statements herein are made as of the date hereof, and the Company assumes no obligation and disclaims any intention to update or revise any forward-looking information and statements herein, or to update the reasons that actual events or results could or do differ from those projected in any forward-looking information and statements herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this Release.
Contacts:
La Ronge Gold Corp.
Rasool Mohammad, B.Sc. (Mining)
President & CEO
(604) 639-4533
info@larongegold.com
www.larongegold.com