Braveheart has released positive mineralised material sorting test results from quartz bearing vein material at the Alpine mine gold project near Nelson, British Columbia. Testing was carried out by Steinert US Inc at their facilities in Walton, Kentucky using their multisensory sorting system (KSS). Aaron Matlock, Braveheart’s Chief Operating Officer, was in attendance during the test. Samples tested included 72 kg of run of mine (ROM) material and 128 kg of a composite sample for a total of 200 kg. Samples were shipped to SGS Laboratories, an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory in Lakefield, Ontario for preparation and analysis.
The purpose of the testing was to determine whether the Steinert ore sorting system and methodology can be used to up-grade mineralised material originating from the Alpine mine project prior to trucking and processing. The Steinert machine incorporates a combination of X-ray transmission sensors (XRT) and laser sensor technology. The X-ray transmission targets the atomic density of the material and measures the X-ray attenuation of each particle which has a direct correlation on the mineral composition of the rock. This allows higher density material to be separated from lower density material. The former contains more of the mineralised rock and the latter is separated as low-grade or waste. The laser sensor targets the shape and brightness of a particle.
In preparation for testing of the ROM and composite samples the -10 mm fines were removed by screening. The ROM and composite test samples ranged in size from -50 mm to +10 mm in size. During testing the ROM material was up-graded from a feed grade of 14.7 g/t Au to 20.3 g/t Au with 92.8% gold recovery and 32.7% waste rejection. The composite material was up-graded from a feed grade of 25.4 g/t Au to 43.2 g/t Au with 81.3% recovery and 52.1% waste rejection.
Ian Berzins, Braveheart’s Chief Executive Officer, commented: “The test results are very encouraging and indicative that Steinert sorting of mineralised material at the Alpine mine could be an important component of Braveheart’s overall beneficiation process. Historical records from the BC Ministry of Mines and Energy indicated that the Alpine mine achieved a plant feed grade of approximately 22 g/t Au using some hand sorting of mineralised material. The current NI 43-101 resource for the Alpine Mine project is 268,000 tonnes at a grade of 16.5 g/t Au based on 5 g/t Au cut-off grade. Ore sorting at the mine site has the potential of up-grading the mineralised material to historical levels using this technology. Braveheart is currently investigating several options for custom milling of Alpine mine mineralised material in reasonable proximity to the mine. By up-grading the value of the ore at the mine trucking and processing costs can be significantly reduced on a unit basis”.
Meanwhile, Braveheart is about to embark on its 2018 exploration program at the Alpine mine project which is scheduled to commence in mid-August. The program consists of a helicopter-assisted diamond drilling program of approximately 1,600 m and is intended to increase the overall size of the resource and convert some of the resource from inferred to either measured or indicated categories. Surface exploration including mapping and sampling of potential targets on the property will be carried out simultaneously.
