QUEBEC – Clifton Star Resources of Quebec City says the recent metallurgical tests of samples from the tailings of the former Beattie mine returned an overall gold recovery rate of 83.5%. The Beattie mine is part of the Duparquet advanced exploration project 45 km northwest of Rouyn-Noranda.
Approximately 9.0 million tonnes of tailings were generated until the Beattie mill shut down in the 1950s. A sample grading 1.18 g/t Au was tested by SGS Lakefield using direct cyanidation as well as a combination of flotation, pressure oxidation and carbon-in-leach with a subsequent CIL treatment of the flotation tailings. Direct cyanidation recovered 39.7% of the gold. The flotation-pressure oxidation-CIL option yielded 83.5%.
Samples of Beattie tailings bulk concentrates have been shipped to Goldfields of South Africa to be tested using the BIOX bacterial process in place of pressure oxidation. Concentrate samples have also been sent to Australia for testing with Xstrata Technologies’ Albion process that uses fine grinding and neutral oxidation of pyrite and arsenopyrite.
SGS Lakefield continues to test samples of the Beattie tailings in preparation for an upcoming preliminary economic assessment.
The 43-101 mineral resource report of the Beattie property, is posted at Clifton Star’s website, CliftonStarResources.com.
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