AfricaPress-Tanzania: Tanzanian Gold Corporation has said SGS Canada Lakefield staged to start comprehensive metallurgical testing on sulphide gold mineralization that will warrant the design of a large gold processing plant at Buckreef project.
The testing is necessary in order to finalize a flow-sheet for the design of the processing plant that will be the basis for the final feasibility study of the Buckreef Project.
TGC said in statement that the testing is expected to last five to six months and the new sulphide processing plant could produce in the range of 150,000 to 175,000 ounces of gold per year.
“The current round of testing is expected to take approximately five to six months, following which some additional sampling and variability testing may be required that would arise from the design of a new open pit which will be initiated shortly,” the firm said in statement availed to Daily News yesterday.
Mr James MacDonald, Senior Metallurgist from SGS has reviewed historical reports and recommends the flow sheet testing options based on that historical review.
Buckreef Gold Company is a joint venture company between Tanzania America International Development Company (TANZAM) 55 per cent and Tanzania’s State Mining Corporation (STAMICO) 45 per cent.
TANZAM is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tanzanian Gold Corporation a Toronto Stock Exchange listed company.
The company has shipped fresh core from three metallurgical test holes drilled last year to the SGS Lakefield site to confirm a conceptual flow-sheet that includes either gravity separation with gravity tailing cyanidation, or gravity separation, followed by sulphide flotation of the gravity tailing, with regrinding and cyanide leaching of reground sulphide concentrate along with possible leaching of flotation tailing.
“These flowsheets constitute low cost and attractive alternatives for the Buckreef Project,” the statement said.
Mr James E. Sinclair, Executive Chairman of TGC said that one of the world’s premier metallurgical facilities will be confirming a new flow sheet is a direct result of the prior announcement that the company has more than doubled its mineral resources.
Mr Sinclair said: “with the addition of the new sulphide plant, the Buckreef Project could have two ore treatment plants producing at the same time,”
Mid this March the company announced a doubling of mineral resource. In view of this robust increase, TGC has proposed a preliminary design criteria for the sulphide plant to treat up to 3.0 million tonnes per year, which is approximately three times more than the amount processed by the plant that was the basis of the Pref-Feasibility study of June 2018.
