Odyssey Gold (ASX: ODY) has delivered recoveries of more than 95% during metallurgical test work on a composite sample from the Tuckanarra gold project in Western Australia.
The 44-kilogram sample was taken as representive of the average lithology and head grade from a shallow starter pit at the Cable deposit.
The sample, which reflected the expected proportions expected in the initial phase of mining, included waste samples internal to intersections to approximate a likely open-pit mining dilution.
Key outcomes from testing included a gold leach recovery that peaked at 95.9% after eight hours, along with low cyanide consumption of 0.37kg per tonne and low-to-moderate lime consumption of 2.65kg/t, gravity gold recovery of 18.8%, and deleterious elements recorded within an acceptable range or below detectable limits.
The variability between fire assayed head grades and calculated head grades is thought to be from the presence of coarse gold.
Historical Cable Drilling
The Cable area was mined in the mid-1990s by Metana Minerals, which drilled the pit and areas proximal to the pit to 20 x 10m spacing with a reverse circulation campaign.
Areas outside the target laterite and oxide mineralisation were drilled to 80 x 20m spacing, and Phosphate Australia drilled the laterite and oxide again to 20 x 20m spacing in 2012.
Odyssey’s subsequent reverse circulation and diamond campaigns have targeted fresh rock extensions to the mineralisation, with infill drilling targeting a 40 x 40m drill spacing now underway.
The Tuckanarra gold project has a current mineral resource estimate of 5.14 million tonnes at 2.5 grams per tonne for 407,000 ounces, while the Cable resource sits at 1.69Mt at 2.3g/t gold for a contained 123,000oz.
Odyssey holds an 80% interest in Tuckanarra—which straddles the Great Northern Highway in the prolific Murchison Goldfields, approximately 40km north of Cue and 680km north northeast of Perth—and 80% of the Stakewell gold project.
Encouraging Test Work Results
Executive director Matt Syme said the results of the Cable starter pit metallurgical test work were very encouraging.
“As expected for weathered Tuckanarra mineralisation, we achieved excellent and fast leach recoveries with low reagent consumption, reinforcing the potential benefits of mining shallow starter pits at Cable and other deposits under the existing mining proposal,” he said.
“The next round of test work will expand our understanding of the starter pits and extend to the deeper resources, to support a Tuckanarra scoping study.”
Odyssey continues to engage with the owners of nearby processing plants, along with potential mining partners able to provide a low-cost pathway to monetise the existing resource.
