Sacre-Coeur Minerals Limited: Reports Results From Guyana Metallurgical Test Holes
20.06.2013 | FSCwire
Length Weighted Average 3.08 G/T Au, Including 42.8 Meters Grading 10.56 G/T AuVancouver, June 20, 2013 /FSC/ - Sacre-Coeur Minerals Ltd. (SCM - TSX Venture, S5N - FWB), (the "Company") today announced that it has received from its feasibility contractor, Tetra Tech, assays for core holes drilled into the Company's NI 43-101 compliant Million Mountain Zone 1 resource body located in Guyana, South America. The holes were drilled to collect samples for metallurgical testing in support of the feasibility study which is currently underway. A total of six HQ core holes were drilled vertically from surface through the saprolitized portion of the resource body to the contact with un-weathered rock below. The holes were positioned to target a representative range of grades expected from the "Measured" saprolite resource based on the resource model developed during the NI43-101 compliant resource estimate compiled for the Company by Pincock Allen & Holt. Results of all of the metallurgical test holes are presented in the table below:
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Hole Number From To TD/Interval Grade
(m) (m) (m) (g/t Au)
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MMMT001 0.00 45.80 45.80 0.06
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MMMT002 0.00 21.80 21.80 2.08
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including 0.00 8.00 8.00 2.28
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Including 16.00 19.00 3.00 5.92
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MMMT003 0.00 42.80 42.80 10.56
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including 15.00 29.00 14.00 26.79
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Including 35.00 42.80 7.80 8.03
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MMMT004 0.00 17.30 17.30 4.42
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including 0.00 5.00 5.00 7.49
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Including 15.00 17.00 2.00 14.49
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MMMT005 0.00 48.80 48.80 0.65
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Including 42.00 46.00 4.00 2.67
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MMMT006 0.00 21.80 21.80 0.10
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Total/Length Weighted Average All Holes 198.30 3.08
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Note: Intervals in table are not resolved to true widths. Assays are uncut, though no statistical outliers are believed to exist.
While the average of the metallurgical test holes cannot be considered representative of the resource body, the results are encouraging as the length weighted average of 3.08 g/t Au is significantly greater than the saprolite hosted portion of the NI 43-101 compliant resource within the conceptual pit considered in the Company's internal analysis at 1.026 g/t Au. In particular, the 42.8 meters grading 10.56 g/t Au is considerably higher than predicted by the resource model for this area. The actual contribution of this new drilling data will be determined when the resource model is updated in conjunction with the feasibility study currently underway.
The Company has also received results of scrubbing tests from Met-Solve Laboratories, a feasibility subcontractor, determining the parameters associated with dis-aggregation of the clay minerals in the saprolite as an important element of the process flow sheet. "Complete scrubbing", +95% dis-aggregation of clay minerals from auriferous quartz, was achieved with 60 seconds retention time at both 50% and 60% solids pulp density, suggesting a simple, low pressure scrubbing system will be adequate to achieve thorough scrubbing of the plant feed. This, coupled with preliminary gold particle size characterization from the resource body may allow significant reduction in volume of the down-line process stream by de-sliming before further processing without significant loss of contained gold, thus reducing the size, and attendant capital and operating cost for the actual gold recovery system.
The Company is very pleased with the early results from the studies in support of the feasibility study for development of its Million Mountain Zone 1 resource. To date, all results have been as good as or better than projected based on the Company's internal analysis.
Owing to the very positive results of the Company's detailed internal scoping and economic analysis, the Company elected to move directly to a formal feasibility study being performed Tetra Tech, supported by process subcontractors RDi and Met-Solve. In order to expedite delivery, the entire process of scoping and trade-off studies, feasibility study and report, and final design for construction have been integrated into a seamless process utilizing the same team. Delivery of the NI 43-101 compliant feasibility study is targeted for 3Q 2013, to be followed immediately by a final development decision (pending positive study results as expected), completion of development financing, and commencement of construction. Commissioning of the mine and plant for production is targeted for 3Q 2014.
The Million Mountain Zone 1 deposit hosts approximately 500,000 tr oz Au as currently tested, including NI 43-101 compliant "measured" resources of 12.12 million tonnes grading 1.0g/t Au, and "indicated" resources of 2.18 million tonnes grading 0.9g/t Au. Since completion of the NI 43-101 resource calculation and report by Pincock, Allen & Holt (Runge Pincock Minarco), the Company has completed 40 additional drill holes on the perimeter of the resource body which have encountered gold mineralization, and are expected to be additive to the resource. The resource will be formally updated to NI 43-101 standards to include these additional holes as a part of the feasibility study and the updated resource body will be utilized for detailed mine planning.
Feasibility of exploitation of the deposit will be broken into two phases. The first, which is the subject of the Company's internal analysis and the current work, will be limited to that portion of the deposit which is saprolitized (chemically weathered in situ to clay-like consistency). Mining and processing requirements for this regime are considerably different from those of un-weathered rock in that drilling and blasting is not required to excavate saprolite, and crushing and grinding requirements for the heavily weathered material are substantially less intensive. Feasibility analysis of mining and processing the un-weathered portion of the deposit will be a separate undertaking to be commissioned at a later date, once mining of the saprolite portion of the body is well advanced.
As in the internal analysis, the base case scope for the current feasibility study includes mining and processing at the rate of nominally 100,000 tonnes per month. Mining will be limited to the saprolite portion of the body and will be prosecuted by conventional open pit methods down to the contact between the weathered and un-weathered portions of the body at an elevation of approximately 30 meters ASL. The process plant is contemplated to be of portable, modular construction to minimize on-site construction, thus providing the benefits of economy and improved quality of shop-built modules and minimizing risks associated with on-site construction. The basic flow sheet currently contemplated in the internal analysis includes a nominal crushing and grinding circuit followed by gravity concentration. Gravity tails may be subjected to CN leaching to recover remaining gold not recoverable by gravity means if demonstrated to be cost beneficial. Preliminary feasibility work suggests that because of the relatively coarse gold particle size distribution, it may be more cost effective to enhance the gravity circuit with an intensive multistage process likely to include some regrinding, and eliminate the leaching circuit entirely.
Metallurgical Sample Drill Hole Location Table
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Hole Number Easting Northing Collar Elev. Dip Azimuth Total
(m) (m) (m) (deg) Depth
(m)
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MMMT001 240858.31 697100.71 81.06 -90.00 n/a 45.80
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MMMT002 241036.84 697100.68 59.16 -90.00 n/a 21.80
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MMMT003 240863.97 697090.27 78.85 -90.00 n/a 42.80
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MMMT004 241058.93 697099.32 58.66 -90.00 n/a 17.30
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MMMT005 240927.69 697080.72 79.82 -90.00 n/a 48.80
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MMMT006 241081.53 697106.58 57.28 -90.00 n/a 21.80
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Note: Coordinates are UTM WGS 84 Datum, 21N Grid
About Sacre-Coeur
The Company is engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of properties for gold, metals and diamonds in South America, initially focussing on exploration and production of gold from its properties in Guyana. The Company presently holds 100% interest in approximately 860 sq. km of mineral properties in Guyana, including the Million Mountain Property which hosts an NI 43-101 compliant hard-rock resource of 12,119,285 tonnes grading 1.0 g/t Au Measured, and 2,175,278 tonnes grading 0.9 g/t Au Indicated for a total 451,000 tr oz Au combined. The Company has offices in Vancouver, Canada and Georgetown, Guyana. More information about the Company is available at (www.scminerals.com).
The undersigned is a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. All information contained herein has been prepared by or under the supervision of the undersigned.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF SACRE-COEUR MINERALS, LTD.
"Gregory B. Sparks"
Gregory B. Sparks, P. Eng., President & CEO
For further information, contact:
Sacre-Coeur Minerals Ltd.
Gregory Sparks, President and CEO
Email: greg@scminerals.com
Phone: 604-899-0100
Fax: 604-899-0200
Ryan Carpel, IR Coordinator
Email: ryan@scminerals.com
Phone: 604-899-0100
Fax: 604-899-0200
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