Novo Completes Encouraging Gold Processing Trials With Steinert
16 September 2019 - 10:00PM
Novo Resources Corp. (“
Novo” or
the “
Company”) (TSX-V: NVO; OTCQX: NSRPF) is
pleased to announce that the Company has completed encouraging gold
processing trials at the Steinert GmbH testing facility in Cologne,
Germany.
Highlights:
- Preliminary tests of eddy current separator
(“ECS”) technology indicate promising potential to
directly extract gold nuggets from gravel. ECS technology is one of
several dry processing methodologies being considered by Novo for
gold recovery at its expansive Egina terrace gravel gold
project.
- Tests conducted on a spectrum of nugget sizes ranging from 1-10
mm demonstrated consistently high gold nugget recovery via ECS
technology. Nuggets that underwent testing were recently extracted
from gravels at Egina.
- In addition to ECS technology, Novo conducted initial testing
of Steinert mechanical sorting technology to detect small gold
nuggets utilizing an Argos EM electro-magnetic sensor. Fine gold
nuggets, approximately 1 mm, were consistently and readily detected
indicating potential for direct mechanical sorting of gold
nuggets.
- A combination of mechanical sorting and ECS technology is also
being considered as a potentially viable means of dry processing at
Egina.
“We are very encouraged by these initial
laboratory test results utilizing ECS technology,” commented Rob
Humphryson, CEO and director of Novo. “Our mantra when testing new
technology and its application to our projects is to ‘test quickly
and test cheaply,’ and we now have in hand sufficient encouragement
from these tests to consider ECS technology highly prospective for
application in the field.”
Phase one of the Company’s joint venture with
Sumitomo Corporation at the Egina Gold Project centres around
gaining a better understanding of geology (grade, continuity,
controls, gold particle size distribution, gold location within
gravels, gold genesis etc.) but also involves high level desktop
studies and trials to develop potential future processing and
mining methodologies.
Eddy current separators are predominantly used
to recover select metals in the scrap metal industry. Material is
fed onto a conveyor, the head pulley of which contains an
adjustable high-powered magnet spinning at very high rotation
rates, 4,000 rpm in Novo’s tests, independent of the speed of the
conveyor. This spinning magnet induces an alternating magnetic
field that differentially repels non-magnetic metals such as gold.
This magnetic repulsion causes gold nuggets to lift, or fling, off
the end of the conveyor belt where they can be separated from waste
material by a steel plate. These trials were designed to establish
whether Egina gold nuggets indeed react sufficiently to reliably be
separated from waste material (please see videos 1 and 2).
Gold at Egina predominantly occurs as free
nuggets of which most are above 1mm in size. This presents
opportunity to explore innovative technologies, some used
commercially in other applications such as ECS technology, to
assess their efficacy for use at the Egina gold project.
ECS Testing:
- Testing was conducted upon two size fractions of gravel
material sourced from Novo’s Egina project. Gravel was seeded with
a range of nugget sizes down to 1mm size. Nuggets were recently
recovered from the Company’s IGR3000 alluvial test plant being used
to process bulk samples at Egina.
- 3-10mm size fraction results: º Nine nuggets ranging in size
from 3 to 10mm were introduced into the gravels and seven tests
were conducted, with nine out of nine nuggets being recovered in
six tests and eight out of nine nuggets being recovered in one
test. In the latter test, the smallest nugget was unrecovered.
º Collation of these results indicates over 99% nugget
recovery, higher by weight. º No waste particles were evident
in the concentrate stream in any of these tests.
- 1-3mm size fraction results: º Greater than 90% of gold by
weight was recovered from gravels during multiple tests. º A
minor amount of ‘over-sort’, or waste material, was concentrated
with gold, though representing significantly less mass than gold in
the concentrate.
- Simulated testing was also conducted for nuggets contained
within rock and clay matrix, an occurrence that represents a very
minor proportion of gold observed in the field. It was observed
that where gold made up over half of the mass of the particle, it
responded sufficiently favorable for the ECS to allow differential
separation.
- Simulated testing was also conducted to assess the potential
impacts of moisture, and whilst quantitative analysis was not
undertaken in the time allotted, it is evident that moisture is
likely to have some impact upon recovery efficiency. Novo thinks
this effect might be mitigated by measures including dry screening
prior to processing.
Mechanical Sorter Testing:
To better understand the ability of Steinert
mechanical sorting machines to separate free gold nuggets, four
nuggets of around 1mm each were affixed to the conveyor belt and
scanned by an Argos EM electro magnetic sensor. All 4 nuggets were
reliably detected through each conveyor belt rotation, indicating a
reasonable level of certainty of this technology being able to
recover gold particles at least down to the 1mm size fraction.
Next Steps:
It is clear from this encouraging preliminary
testing that ECS technology can play an important role at Egina,
with potential application as a processing solution or an
exploration tool, or both. This technology generates significant
inherent advantages. It requires no water, no chemicals, is of low
capital cost and is readily mobile. It can also be employed along
with other technologies and is scalable. Novo thinks field tests
are warranted at larger scale to better understand recovery
efficiencies, operating costs and throughput rates. The Company
plans further work with Steinert to study schemes in which ECS
machines, or ECS machines in combination with mechanical sorting
technology, can achieve efficient recovery of gold nuggets at
Egina. As Novo learns more about gold size particle and mass
distribution of gold in Egina gravels, the Company can then begin
to estimate gold recovery. As mentioned above, ECS technology is
one of a range of technologies being considered, all with the
common attributes of requiring no water, no chemicals, low capital
outlay, and being mobile and flexible.
Video
links:
Video 1: Merged videos and photos showing rear
view, side view, concentrate and waste streams for 3mm-10mm
feed
Video 2: Merged videos and photos showing feed
blend nuggets excitation in magnetic field, rear view, side view
for 1mm-3mm feed
Dr. Quinton Hennigh, P. Geo., the Company’s
president, chairman, and a director, and a qualified person as
defined by National Instrument 43-101, has approved the technical
contents of this news release.
About Novo Resources Corp.
Novo’s focus is to explore and develop gold
projects in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, and Novo has
built up a significant land package covering approximately 13,000
sq km with varying ownership interests. For more information,
please contact Leo Karabelas at (416) 543-3120 or
e-mail leo@novoresources.com
On Behalf of the Board of Directors,
Novo Resources Corp.
“Quinton Hennigh”Quinton Hennigh President and
Chairman
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 news release.
Forward-looking information
Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking
information (within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation)
including, without limitation, statements as to planned processing
activities using an eddy current separator and the likelihood of
their results. These statements address future events and
conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results,
performance or achievements to be materially different from any
future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by
the statements. Such factors include, without limitation, customary
risks of the mineral resource industry as well as the performance
of services by third parties.
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