Alba Mineral Resources plc plans to quicken the start of gold production following recent assay results from the waste tip at Clogau-St David’s mine in North Wales.
RESULTS
The company conducted its phase II sampling programme at the waste tip from which assay results from five pits dug in January 2022 returned gold grades of up to 11.35 g/t.
Whole-sample analysis averages are up to 3.50 g/t and are similar to Phase I results.
Average gold grades returned for the fine fractions (<1mm) are up to 2.13 g/t.
Alba added that further size fraction analysis had highlighted how gold was concentrated in the finest material (<1 mm) extracted from the dump.
The company produced a total of 107 kg of concentrate in the pilot processing plant from 8.76 tonnes of sub 20mm fines material collected in January 2022.
The panning of one sample of the <20mm fraction reveals a material amount of visible gold.
OUTLINE MINING PLAN
Alba plans to upgrade the 107kg of concentrate, assess the economic potential of processing this section of the waste tip and develop an outline mining plan.
The company will also evaluate taking a further bulk sample from lower down within the waste tip to access potentially higher grade material.
POTENTIAL
Executive chairman George Frangeskides added that production from the waste tip would be low cost.
“Additionally, given the fine nature of the material that has the potential to filter downwards, we are exploring options to take a second bulk sample from the lower reaches of the waste tip that could further strengthen the project’s economics.”