Mining junior Prodigy Gold has announced the results of SAG Design test work and SAG Design comminution analysis preformed by Starkey and Associates on representative samples of gold mineralised rock from its Magino mine gold project in northern Ontario. The results of the testing were used to predict grinding equipment and energy requirements for the proposed mill at Magino. Four samples of unsplit HQ core totaling 121.6 kg showed hard competency for SAG milling and moderate-to-hard competency for ball mill grindability with an average Bond Work Index (BWI) of 14.81. Using a design BWI of 15.81, Starkey recommends a conventional single line grinding circuit with one SAG mill followed by two ball mills in parallel, with total throughput of 17,500 t/d. The throughput can be expanded to 20,000 t/d with the addition of a single cone crusher.

Verifying the SAG milling option is important to the economic analysis of the Magino mine project as SAG milling circuits typically have lower unit operating costs than similar sized all-ball milling circuits. The grindability data will be incorporated into an updated Magino mine Preliminary Economic Assessment expected later this year. The Magino mine is in the Goudreau-Lochalsh gold district of the Wawa gold camp. Gold was discovered in the Goudreau-Lochalsh district in 1918. The Magino mine property was the site of numerous exploration and test mining programs from the mid-1930s through the early 1980s. The Magino gold mine, operated by Muscocho Explorations, was in production from 1988 until the summer of 1992. During that time, the mine produced 697,190 t of ore at a recovered grade of 4.70 g/t gold yielding 105,543 oz of gold. All production was from underground operations utilising both shrinkage and long hole stoping.