Reach Resources Limited (ASX: RR1 & RR1OA), a diversified portfolio company with projects led by the Murchison South Gold project near Payne’s Find, Western Australia, has announced positive results from metallurgical testwork at its Murchison South Gold Project. The company also has advanced lithium, manganese and REE exploration assets in the resource rich Gascoyne Mineral Field. The testwork, managed by JT Metallurgical Services, was designed to assess the viability of treating Murchison South ore through a conventional gravity/cyanide leach flowsheet, mirroring the processes used by nearby toll and ore purchase facilities.
The metallurgical testwork achieved gold recoveries between 95.2% and 97.4% via gravity/cyanide leach at P80 106µm across three composite samples representative of early production. These results were obtained under test conditions that align with those of nearby toll milling and ore-purchase facilities, with all tests performed using water sourced from the project site. The testwork also indicated low lime and cyanide consumption and no evidence of significant deleterious elements.
CEO Jeremy Bower commented that the results demonstrate that the ore is free-milling with high gold recoveries across the tested composites. Bower said the outcomes provide technical support for further assessment of processing options for the Murchison South Gold Project. Further results indicated rapid leach dissolution for all composites with no evidence of preg-robbing and minimal grind sensitivity observed above P80 150µm. Crushing, comminution, and rheological characteristics are considered favourable for conventional processing.
Overall, the company release indicated that initial metallurgical testwork suggests that mineralisation from the Murchison South Gold Project is free-milling, relatively soft, and amenable to processing via a conventional gravity and cyanide leach flowsheet. The results support the potential treatment of ore through third-party toll milling or ore-purchase facilities located within cost-effective trucking distance of the project.
