Perth, Oct 3, 2008 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Conquest Mining Limited (ASX:CQT)(PINK:CQMLF) is pleased to announce that metallurgical testwork using Bacterial Leaching is progressing successfully. The same Bacterial heap leach technology has been successfully used in mining operations in South Africa and Chile.
Key Points:
- Bacterial Adaptation was completed successfully on Silver Hill concentrate, using three cultures currently in use in the mining industry.
- The adapted bacterial cultures have now been used to commence bench scale stirred tank oxidative Bacterial Amenability tests, and are expected to be complete within two weeks. Results of metal recoveries will be released after receipt of assays.
- Column Leach tests using 2 metre high columns will be commenced after evaluating the results of the stirred tank Bacterial Amenability tests.
Conquest has conducted extensive metallurgical test-work during the last year and demonstrated that flotation can routinely recover 95% of gold, silver, and copper in a sulphide concentrate. The company, after receiving expert advice, successfully used the Xstrata owned Albion Process to separate these metals from Silver Hill concentrate samples earlier this year.
The current Bacterial Leach test-work program was initiated to ensure that the company had considered a full range of competitive technologies, and to provide a comparison of CAPEX and OPEX over the expected mine life.
Bacterial Adaptation Tests
Bacterial Adaptation Tests using three bacterial cultures were completed successfully on Silver Hill concentrate in bench scale tanks. Tests used mesophile, moderate thermophile, and extreme thermophile bacteria to cover a range of temperatures from 40 to 80 degrees centigrade. All three cultures adapted readily to the Silver Hill concentrate and no toxicity issues were apparent.
The adapted cultures were added to three larger concentrate samples of 1 kg each for stirred tank oxidative Bacterial Amenability tests on 20 September 2008. These tests are expected to be completed in mid October, and are designed to establish metal recoveries from the 3 cultures, and will be reported on after receipt of assays. Data from monitoring of EH, PH, and oxygen parameters from the Adaptation tests is expected for review next week. These parameters are indicative of the completeness of sulphide mineral break-down and the degree of liberation of metals, in particular gold.
Column Leach tests using 2 metre high columns will be commenced after evaluating the results of the stirred tank Bacterial Amenability tests.
Contact
John Terpu
Managing Director
TEL: +61-8-9240-4111
FAX: +61-8-9240-4054
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