Tag Archives: Chrysos

SGS to operate on-site geochemistry lab featuring PhotonAssay tech at Barrick’s North Mara

Mining services, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, , , , ,

SGS, a leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company, has announced a new contract to open and operate a 2,025 sq.m on-site geochemistry laboratory at the North Mara mine, in Tanzania, owned by Barrick Gold.

The state-of-the-art laboratory will be equipped to provide sample preparation, analytical testing and fire assay, using PhotonAssay™ technology, an environmentally friendly, non-destructive method for gold analysis. The facility will be managed by a dedicated team of 67 full-time SGS employees, ensuring efficient operation and high-quality service, the company says.

Lawrence Ng, Vice-President Geochemistry at SGS, said: “The introduction of the Chrysos PhotonAssay technology on-site represents a significant advancement in gold analysis. This innovative technology not only provides our clients with real-time data, aiding them in making informed decisions throughout the value chain, but also contributes to the optimisation of processes to potentially increase productivity.”

PhotonAssay, Chrysos says, delivers faster, safer and more accurate analysis of gold, silver and complementary elements by non-destructive measurement of larger and more representative samples in as little as two minutes, enabling rapid turnaround of critical operational information that drives optimisation throughout the mining value chain.

The system, originally developed at Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, provides an environmentally-friendly, chemical-free, more sustainable replacement for traditional fire assay methods, significantly reducing CO2 emissions and hazardous waste.

New Found Gold proves out Chrysos PhotonAssay sampling method

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New Found Gold and its consultants, following detailed test work and a quality control program, have highlighted the Chrysos PhotonAssay™ method as an appropriate technique for determining gold content in samples from its Queensway project, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

The company announced this alongside assay results from 14 diamond drill holes completed as part of a program designed to test the Keats Main Zone located along the Appleton Fault Zone (AFZ) at Queensway.

Over the past several months, the company tested hundreds of samples in the low-, mid-, and high-grade range, comparing the results of the photon assay method with traditional fire assay, and found a very strong correspondence of the results, it said.

Moving forward, the company will use the photon assay method at MSALABS’ Val-d’Or facility, as well as ALS Minerals’ Vancouver laboratory for traditional fire assay and screen fire determination, to ensure the most efficient turnaround times on assays. The ongoing quality control (QC) program will include analysis of some samples by both methods to monitor accuracy, the company said.

PhotonAssay, Chrysos says, delivers faster, safer and more accurate analysis of gold, silver and complementary elements by non-destructive measurement of larger and more representative samples in as little as two minutes, enabling rapid turnaround of critical operational information that drives optimisation throughout the mining value chain.

The system, originally developed at Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, provides an environmentally friendly, chemical-free, more sustainable replacement for traditional fire assay methods, significantly reducing CO2 emissions and hazardous waste.

Melissa Render, VP Exploration for New Found, said: “We are…excited to debut the use of the Chrysos PhotonAssay method following several months of testwork, clearing the way for New Found to begin shipping a steady flow of material to MSALABS for assaying. The PhotonAssay method is efficient, non-destructive, cost effective and environmentally friendly. These are important attributes that we strive to incorporate into all aspects of exploration at New Found Gold and we are excited to partner with Chrysos and MSALABS to apply this technology at Queensway.”

Lynda Bloom, a sampling and assay expert that has assisted New Found with its QC programs and who has evaluated photon assay data for several other projects, said: “Prior to releasing PhotonAssay results, New Found conducted a thorough evaluation of the method by doing extensive testing against fire assay determinations. Even though over 3 million photon assays have been reported worldwide to date, it was important to prove to management that the method does not bias gold results with respect to fire assay for Queensway samples.”

Britannia Mining Sciences bolsters PhotonAssay lease order

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Chrysos Corporation Limited says it has signed 10 new PhotonAssay™ lease agreements with existing customer Britannia Mining Solutions (BMS), bringing Chrysos’ total number of deployed or contractually-committed units to 48.

The combined initial five-year terms of the 10 new BMS lease agreements increases Chrysos’ Total Contract Value by A$149 million ($106 million) to A$705 million.

The first of BMS’ 12 PhotonAssay units is set to arrive in Montreal in the September quarter of 2023. In due course, BMS’ hub-and-spoke market expansion plan will deliver PhotonAssay technology to strategically important mining centres across the US, Canada, Central and South America, the Middle East and Europe.

Chrysos Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dirk Treasure, said: “These 10 new PhotonAssay leases signal a significant expansion of the existing relationship between Chrysos and Britannia Mining Solutions.

“We are particularly excited by BMS’ targeted approach to the roll-out of its PhotonAssay units. Its proposed regional hub model offers flexibility for large and small miners globally and complements the existing mine site and near mine site deployment strategies of Chrysos’ other customers.”

PhotonAssay, Chrysos says, delivers faster, safer and more accurate analysis of gold, silver and complementary elements by non-destructive measurement of larger and more representative samples in as little as two minutes, enabling rapid turnaround of critical operational information that drives optimisation throughout the mining value chain.

The system, originally developed at Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, provides an environmentally friendly, chemical-free, more sustainable replacement for traditional fire assay methods, significantly reducing CO2 emissions and hazardous waste.

Based in Canada, BMS’ parent company, Britannia Life Sciences, offers an integrated suite of services including analytical and microbiological testing, product development and quality assurance, plus safety and regulatory compliance.

Peter Shippen, CEO of Britannia Life Sciences, said: “Britannia is pleased to partner with Chrysos in revolutionising the global minerals analysis industry. Like Chrysos, our Mining Solutions team has an unwavering commitment to the creation of exceptional market value. The signing of these 10 new PhotonAssay lease agreements reflects the desire of both organisations to deliver unparalleled levels of customer service through faster, safer and more sustainable assaying technologies.”

Steinert mechanical ore sorter starts up at Novo’s Nullagine gold project

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Novo Resources Corp has advised that Phase 2 mechanical sorter trials using a Steinert KSS 100F LIXT fine mechanical sorting unit have commenced at the Nullagine gold project, in Western Australia.

Over recent weeks, the sorter infrastructure has been mobilised, constructed and commissioned adjacent to the company’s Golden Eagle processing plant at Nullagine. Fifty samples from the company’s Comet Well, Purdy’s Reward, Egina, and Talga Talga projects ranging in size from 800 kg to around 5 t have been delivered to the site for crushing and screening ahead of Phase 2 sorter test work.

The test work program in late 2021 and early 2022 is designed to achieve multiple objectives:

  • Construct and commission the sorter and associated infrastructure (Phase 1 – complete);
  • Tune the sorter to the various geological regimes and size fractions and train Novo operators in its use;
  • Process samples from multiple Novo projects around the Pilbara to field test mass pull to concentrate;
  • Establish assay protocols for sorter concentrate ‘accepts’ and waste ‘rejects’. Smaller concentrate mass will be processed by Chrysos PhotonAssay technology at Intertek’s laboratory in Perth, Western Australia. The Acacia reactor and electrowinning apparatus in the gold room at the Nullagine is being commissioned to accept larger masses of material from accepts and reject samples. This will be particularly important as the test work program moves to Phase 3 at the company’s Comet Well project in 2022 to test bulk samples (up to 20,000 t of potentially mineralised material from the Comet Well and Purdy’s Reward projects).

The sorter infrastructure, designed and constructed by OPS Screening and Crushing Equipment, is a fully modular and containerised turnkey plant deployable to any of Novo’s tenements in the future for test work and potential large bulk sampling and processing, the company said. The sorter includes feed and product transfer conveyors, allowing the sorter to produce gold-bearing concentrates in a single pass for further upgrading or downstream processing.

“This Phase 2 trial of the sorter within the Golden Eagle processing facility area is the culmination of several years of test work conducted by Novo to determine the amenability of mechanical sorting to its 13,250 sq.km of tenements across Western Australia,” the company said. “Mechanical sensor-based sorting utilises X-ray technology, 3D colour laser and metal induction to identify gold-bearing material. A high-pressure air jet ‘shoots’ these gold bearing particles into a collection system to produce a concentrate for further downstream processing.”

Next steps at the project include:

  • Phase 2 completion prior to May 2022 – complete processing and assaying of all outstanding coarse, mid and fines samples from the company’s Comet Well, Purdy’s Reward, Egina and Talga Talga projects and establish operating protocols for processing larger mass; and
  • Phase 3 commencing May 2022 (subject to approval from the Western Australian Department of Water and Environmental Regulation) – relocate the sorter and infrastructure to the Comet Well project for bulk test work.

Rob Humphryson, CEO and a Director of Novo, said: “Novo is delighted to see the sorter in operation at the Nullagine gold project. This represents the culmination of considerable planning involving a dedicated consortium of mechanical, electrical, geological and processing experts aiming to maximise the likelihood of success of an innovative application for sorting in the gold industry.

“Results from Phase 3 bulk sampling program set to commence in 2022 at the Comet Well and Purdy’s Reward projects, together with the results of the Phase 2 trials at the Nullagine gold project this year, are expected to provide sufficient geological and operating certainty to enable Novo to progress towards commercial operations at Novo’s nuggety gold deposits.”

SGS adds Chrysos PhotonAssay services to Australian Minerals Regional Hub

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SGS says it is expanding its service delivery in obtaining Chrysos PhotonAssay™ technology as an alternative to traditional fire assay procedures.

The two companies – SGS and Chrysos – have reached an agreement to install a PhotonAssay unit at SGS’s Australian Minerals Regional Hub in Perth, Western Australia.

PhotonAssay provides enhanced analysis of gold, silver and complementary elements in as little as two minutes, improving turnaround time, SGS said.

“SGS is at the forefront of innovation excellence in the minerals and mining sectors with leading automation across FTIR, pXRF, NIR and now PhotonAssay, which will support mining and exploration customers with faster, safer and more environmentally friendly analysis,” SGS said.

Chrysos Corporation Chief Executive, Dirk Treasure, said: “Chrysos is excited to be working with the SGS team. The installation of this new PhotonAssay unit at their cutting-edge facility in Perth reflects the desire of both organisations to deliver unparalleled levels of customer service through faster, safer and more sustainable assaying technologies.”

Hitting samples with high-energy X-rays, Chrysos PhotonAssay causes excitation of atomic nuclei allowing rapid and enhanced analysis of gold, silver and complementary elements. Importantly, the non-destructive process allows large samples of up to 500 g to be measured and provides a “true” bulk reading independent of the chemical or physical form of the sample, the companies said. The technology is also measurably safer and more environmentally friendly than previous assay processes, aligning with SGS’s core principle of achieving a better, safer, and more interconnected world, SGS said.

Derick Govender, Executive Vice President, Natural Resources, SGS, said: “As the leading testing, inspection, and certification service provider to the mining industry globally, SGS continues to seek new, innovative and sustainable solutions to further enhance our services to our customers. In adopting Chrysos PhotonAssay technology at our Perth facility, SGS will continue to work on further deployments of this technology within our global network. Our team’s technical expertise and insight into our customer`s value chain end-to-end is one of our key advantages that allows us to develop innovative solutions.”

Chrysos Corp has already worked with MinAnalytical, MSALABS and Intertek on deploying PhotonAssay units at labs.

New Found Gold to use Chrysos PhotonAssay method for Queensway drill core

Environmental, Mineral exploration, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , ,

New Found Gold says it is proceeding immediately with assaying of drill whole-core samples from its Queensway Project, in Newfoundland, Canada, using the Chrysos PhotonAssay™ method at Intertek’s facilities in Perth, Western Australia.

Novo Resources Corp, a significant shareholder of New Found, currently uses Intertek’s Chrysos PhotonAssay facilities in Perth for production and exploration samples from its Western Australia gold mining and exploration projects and is facilitating priority access for New Found to the Intertek facilities under Novo’s arrangement with Intertek.

The company is planning to send the first shipment of Queensway drill core from Gander this coming week, including intervals from recent drilling that were previously designated for conventional assay on a “rush basis”, the company said. Assay results from these samples are anticipated to be received and reported in the coming weeks.

Intertek’s assay facilities in Perth are used by a broad spectrum of gold mining and exploration companies and it operates two Chrysos PhotonAssay instruments at its Perth laboratory with a third to be installed shortly.

New Found is advancing towards an agreement with MSALABS for 20,000 assays per month at a new facility MSALABS anticipate commissioning shortly in Val d’Or, Quebec, and is also working with MSALABS towards an agreement for the installation of a Chrysos PhotonAssay unit in Gander, in Newfoundland, in 2022.

The use of the Intertek facilities in Perth will allow the company to immediately proceed with leveraging the Chrysos PhotonAssay for the assay of drill core currently being produced at Queensway. This assay work would transition to the MSALABS facility in Val d’Or, Quebec, once capacity there is available to the company.

The Chrysos PhotonAssay method is non-destructive and New Found’s QA/QC program will include fire assay/metallic screening of sample material post photon assay for comparison of the results.

Melissa Render, VP Exploration of New Found, said: “With the current large backlog of samples and resulting slow turnaround times for conventional assaying in North America, even with the additional transport time required to ship samples to Perth, we believe that proceeding with Chrysos PhotonAssay analysis at these facilities in Perth will significantly shorten our turnaround time on assays. This will provide faster receipt of critical information to our exploration team and will allow more timely disclosure of drill results to the market.

“Recognising the nuggety nature of gold mineralisation at Queensway, the use of non-destructive, Chrysos PhotonAssay method on whole-core samples will contribute significantly to optimising the accuracy of our assay results. The Chrysos PhotonAssay method is rapidly gaining industry wide acceptance. Barrick, in partnership with MSALABS, recently installed a Chrysos PhotonAssay unit at its Bulyanhulu Mine in Tanzania, and Kirkland Lake Gold recently installed a unit at its Fosterville Mine in Victoria State, Australia. We are very excited to be moving ahead and implementing the Chrysos PhotonAssay assay process for our Queensway Project and we look forward to reporting our first assay results from recent drilling in the next several weeks.”

Chrysos PhotonAssay lab up and running at Barrick’s Bulyanhulu

Environmental, Metallurgy, Mineral exploration, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , , ,

Barrick Gold, in partnership with MSALABS Ltd, has successfully installed a Chrysos PhotonAssay™ laboratory at its Bulyanhulu mine in Tanzania – the first in Africa and in its global operations.

This new technique, Chrysos says, delivers faster, safer and more accurate analysis of gold, silver and complementary elements by non-destructive measurement of larger and more representative samples in as little as two minutes, enabling rapid turnaround of critical operational information that drives optimisation throughout the mining value chain.

The system, originally developed at Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, provides an environmentally friendly, chemical-free, more sustainable replacement for traditional fire assay methods, significantly reducing CO2 emissions and hazardous waste, according to Barrick.

Introducing the new system to media at the mine, Barrick President and Chief Executive Mark Bristow said it was part of the group’s continuing drive to harness technological innovation in the service of operational excellence, occupational safety and environmental care.

Bulyanhulu is in northwest Tanzania and is a narrow-vein gold mine containing gold, silver and copper mineralisation in sulphides.

The unit, which is also the company’s first deployment directly to a mine site, is part of a collaboration with MSALABS, a subsidiary of Capital Ltd, which will see at least seven Chrysos PhotonAssay units installed across the globe over the next 18 months, Chrysos says.

Dirk Treasure, Chrysos Corporation Chief Executive, said: “We are confident that PhotonAssay’s faster, safer and environmentally-friendly process not only aligns with Barrick’s focus on operational excellence through technology adoption, but also reflects and enhances its global reputation as a leader in sustainable mining and exploration.”

He added: “Our ambitious plan is to deploy 80 PhotonAssay units over the next five years. At that point, with each unit capable of processing up to 480,000 samples per annum, we will be helping our customers reduce CO2 emissions by an estimated 18,000 t and decrease hazardous waste by approximately 12,000 t every year.”

The company anticipates further acceleration of demand over the coming years in a worldwide market with room for approximately 350 units.

Chrysos Corp raises A$50 million to fund PhotonAssay tech expansion drive

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Australia-based Chrysos Corporation has successfully completed an equity placement, raising A$50 million ($37 million) of funds to, it says, meet accelerating demand for its PhotonAssay™ technology from miners, explorers and laboratories across the globe.

The technology is billed as being able to displace slower, more hazardous and toxic assay processes. It delivers faster, safer, more accurate and environmentally friendly analysis of gold, silver and complementary elements in as little as two minutes, according to the company.

Dirk Treasure, Chrysos Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are delighted with the support we’ve received from investors as we enter this exciting phase of our expansion strategy. Through effective planning and execution, we have built a long runway of sustainable growth and are well positioned to realise PhotonAssay’s immense potential in this attractive and progressive market.”

Chrysos says it has entered a transformative stage with the PhotonAssay technology already deployed and in-use with industry leaders, including the world’s third largest laboratory group, Intertek, geochemical laboratory services provider, MSALABS, and top-tier miners including Barrick and Kirkland Lake Gold.

The company maintains a strong sales pipeline and has contracts secured for a further nine units, which represents 150% growth on its current deployments and locking in its manufacturing capacity for the next 12 months, it said. This will bring the total number of deployed and committed PhotonAssay units to 15.

Chrysos anticipates accelerating demand over the coming years in a worldwide market with room for approximately 350 units.

Treasure added: “Our ambitious plan is to deploy 80 PhotonAssay units over the next five years. At that point, with each unit capable of processing up to 480,000 samples per annum, we will be helping our customers reduce CO2 emissions by an estimated 18,000 t and decrease hazardous waste by approximately 12,000 t every year.”

PhotonAssay units are leased to mines and analytical laboratories under long-term renewable contracts, with customers paying per sample processed. As a non-discretionary element of the mining value chain, the technology offers an attractive operating expenditure model for customers and delivers a high margin, long-life annuity revenue stream back to Chrysos.

Chrysos’ PhotonAssay technology was originally conceived at Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, which remains a significant shareholder.

Chrysos PhotonAssay unit delivered to Kirkland Lake’s Fosterville gold mine

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Kirkland Lake Gold is to install a Chrysos PhotonAssay unit at its Fosterville mine, in Victoria, Australia, as it looks to simplify, speed up and improve its mineral assaying process.

The agreement with Chrysos has seen the unit delivered to Fosterville, with the installation to be fully operational by early October.

Originally developed at Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, PhotonAssay delivers faster, more accurate gold analysis, Chrysos says, being a quantitative, chemistry-free replacement for fire assay on-site and in the laboratory.

“Hitting samples with high-energy X-rays, the technology causes excitation of atomic nuclei allowing enhanced analysis of gold, silver, and complementary elements in as little as two minutes,” the company says. “Importantly, Chrysos PhotonAssay allows large samples of up to 500 g to be measured and provides a true bulk reading independent of the chemical or physical form of the sample. The process is completely non-destructive, and all samples can be retained for further testing or analysis if required.”

Wess Edgar, Chief Geologist for Kirkland Lake Gold in Australia, said: “We believe the PhotonAssay method has potential benefits for our business that include simple sample preparation, fast turnaround times for high-quality results, and improved outcomes related to health, environment, and the community.

“The sample charge used in the PhotonAssay method is approximately 10-20 times larger than existing fire assay, and thus has potential for a more representative assay result of the entire crushed sample, which is considered important for samples containing high gold grades and/or visible gold, as are often found at Fosterville.”

Fosterville is one of the highest grade gold mines operating across the industry, having produced 619,000 oz in 2019 at an average grade of 39.6 g/t.

PhotonAssay’s latest market success has drawn a positive response from CSIRO’s Chief Executive, Dr Larry Marshall, according to Chrysos.

“It’s very rewarding to have a global leader like Kirkland Lake embrace this new Aussie technology, which sees our research continuing to improve the efficiency and environmental sustainability of the industry around the world,” Dr Marshall said.

Highlighting the benefits of PhotonAssay for miners, Chrysos CEO, Dirk Treasure, stated: “Our PhotonAssay installations provide single-touch operation and improved safety outcomes, whilst also reducing labour requirements and the potential for human error. The technology’s fast turnaround on high sample volumes provides customers with time-critical operational data and drives optimisation through their entire value chain.

“We are seeing increasing interest in Chrysos PhotonAssay from both laboratories and miners. Recent developments across the sector are driving a desire for technological solutions that deliver measurable productivity gains and true competitive advantage. This is an exciting time, not just for us, but for the entire industry.”

On Site Laboratory Services, a company based in Bendigo, will staff and operate the unit at Fosterville on behalf of Kirkland Lake Gold, Chrysos said.

Chrysos Corp completes PhotonAssay hat-trick at MinAnalytical Lab

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Following on from the successful commissioning of its second PhotonAssay Max system earlier this year, Chrysos Corp says it has now completed commissioning of a third PhotonAssay Max system at the MinAnalytical laboratory in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.

The Chrysos PhotonAssay solution provides rapid, accurate, safe and non-destructive ore grade analysis and, with the installation of this new system, MinAnalytical’s Kalgoorlie facility now has the security of double-redundancy and the capacity to service customers with fast turnaround on up to 100,000 samples per month, Chrysos said.

The technology, which was developed by CSIRO, slashes the time it takes to analyse a drilling sample from days to hours, according to Chrysos, and is an alternative to the traditional fire assay process. It represents a chemical-free approach to material analysis that gives accurate results in minutes and uses a larger sample size than fire assay, with reduced sample preparation.
A further benefit is that the new process enables the sample to be tested repeatedly if required – unlike fire assay, which involves the destruction of the sample, the company says.

Arriving in Kalgoorlie in late October, the new PhotonAssay Max was installed by Chrysos and its manufacturing partner, Nuctech, and completed site acceptance testing in mid-November, with final sign-off occurring earlier this month.

“With NATA (National Association of Testing Authorities) accreditation of the new system expected in 2020, and a fully-automated sample preparation solution from Scott Automation incorporated by May, MinAnalytical’s Kalgoorlie laboratory represents the cutting edge of gold analysis and reporting,” the company said.

Chrysos was formed in 2016 in partnership between CSIRO and RFC Ambrian for the purpose of commercialising the PhotonAssay technology. Ausdrill has invested in Chrysos and is assisting in commercialising the company’s technology. Ausdrill, through its subsidiary MinAnalytical, was the first company in the world to offer the technology to mining companies.