Leach tests return unexpectedly high values for Northern Crown

Column leach tests have returned higher-than-expected values from Northern Crown Mines’ (NCW-T) Guadalupe de los Reyes project in Mexico.

The metallurgical testwork, which was performed by McClelland Laboratories, will be incorporated into a prefeasibility study now being prepared by Pincock Allen & Holt of Colorado. The study is expected to be released this month.

For a quarter-inch crush size, the study will assume a gold recovery of 76% — about 10% higher than in earlier tests.

The project comprises three deposits: Zapote-Tahonitas, Chiripa-San Miguel-Noche Buena and the Guadalupe mine zone. Although the metallurgical work related only to the Zapote deposit, the other deposits will also be considered when the final design and location of the leaching facility is worked out.

The most recent estimate of the total resource at Guadalupe de los Reyes is 12.1 million tonnes grading 1.94 grams gold and 40.7 grams silver per tonne.