SEMAFO Inc. announced today that metallurgical test work performed on high-grade Siou zone samples revealed gold recovery rates of over 95%. Testing on the Siou zone, located approximately 15 kilometers from the Mana mill, was conducted using a standard carbon-in-leach ("CIL") process and results represent higher recovery rates than any deposit found at Mana to date.
"We are thrilled with the recovery results at Siou. The exceptionally high recovery rates within the sulfide mineralization demonstrate that non-refractory mineralization also occurs outside the Wona-Kona complex," said Benoit Desormeaux, SEMAFO's President and Chief Executive Officer. "As part of our objective to focus exploration on organic growth at Mana in the vicinity of the mill, we intend to add the Siou zone to the 2012 resource estimate and to reserves in 2013. We hope to begin ore extraction from the zone in late 2014 or early 2015."
Following the delineation program completed in the third quarter of 2012, a series of Siou mineralized intervals across the main zone were selected for testing in order to establish the metallurgical characteristics of the deposit. Based on visual core description and drill hole assay results, the deposit was already known to contain significant amounts of free visible gold grains although rarely larger than 0.5 millimeters. In addition, no relationship between the sulfide content and gold grades could be identified. Finally, gold was almost exclusively associated with quartz veins.
Delineation drilling and permitting at Siou remain a priority for the Corporation in 2013 in an effort to fast-track the deposit towards production. Two core rigs are currently active on the Siou zone, both along strike and at depth to establish the continuity of the mineralization. More comprehensive information about the metallurgical test work can be found in Appendix I of this press release.
Sylvain Duchesne P. Eng., SEMAFO's Mineral Processing Engineer and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101 has reviewed and approved the technical information related to this news release.
Source: http://www.semafo.com/