Mt Malcolm Mines enhances prospects at Golden Crown with robust gold recovery rates

Mt Malcolm Mines (ASX: M2M) has confirmed gold recovery averaging 63.4% during a processing study conducted on samples from its Golden Crown prospect in Western Australia.

The ongoing study is assessing the prospect’s economic potential by processing seven batches of samples from 62 mineralised intercepts reported in a February reverse circulation drilling campaign.

The batches ranged in grade from 2 grams per tonne gold to over 41g/t and were taken from a 50-metre by 15m mineralised corridor.

Strong correlation

A total of 8,000t high-grade ore was processed using wet gravity separation at a nearby third-party plant to assess the plant’s efficiency and the samples’ amenability to the plant.

Recoveries varied from 34.7% to 87.7%, with the company reporting a strong correlation between higher average grades of gold and improved gold recovery.

Batches with an average grade of 4g/t gold and above achieved recovery rates at a higher average of 73.3%.

Economic potential

Managing director Trevor Dixon said the results would assist the company in determining the suitability of aligning future operations with the 50t per day plant due to its proximity to Golden Crown.

“The preliminary findings of initial analysis across seven sample batches reveal a consistent trend that higher average gold grades correlate with better recovery efficiencies,” he said.

“This result emphasises the shallow, higher-grade mineralisation at Golden Crown and enhances the potential of a future small-scale mining operation in proximity to a pilot processing plant.”

Focal point

The Golden Crown prospect has become Mt Malcolm’s focal point for resource estimation and project development.

The February drilling campaign delineated a well-defined mineralised area believed to have provided a foundation for a robust maiden mineral resource estimate.

Golden Crown has historically proven to be a significant producer, yielding 1,720 ounces between 1899 and 1904 from three shallow lodes which remain open along the down plunge.

Notably, there have been 17 intercepts greater than 5g/t gold—seven of which have been greater than 10g/t, five greater than 15g/t and three greater than 30g/t.

Mr Dixon said the high-grade near-surface deposit would be well-suited to low-impact, small-scale mining operations.