M2M hits 63.4% gravity recovery rates at Golden Crown

The average gravity gold recovery achieved through the study is 63.4%
There’s a strong correlation between gold grades and improved recovery
Site preparation has begun for a bulk sampling program

Special report: Initial results from a sample processing study conducted at Mt Malcolm’s Golden Crown prospect have returned an average 63.4% gold recovery.

Mt Malcolm Mines (ASX:M2M) Golden Crown prospect was a historically significant gold producer in historic times, yielding more than 1720oz at an average grade of 29g/t.

The project has seen relatively minor exploration since, with previous work by M2M delivering an exploration target of between 120,000t and 150,000t grading from 10g/t to 15g/t gold for Golden Crown, or about 42,000-79,000oz of gold.

If grades like that come to fruition, extremely high by modern standards, it will be a tasty prospect for underfed processing plants nearby as a sugar hit for their mills.

Golden Crown has become the company’s focal point for resource estimation and project development.

In February, RC drilling delineated a well-defined mineralised area with results returning a peak assay of 1m grading 61.39 g/t gold between 16-17m, providing a foundation for resource estimates.

Strong correlation between high gold grades and recovery

A sample processing study at Golden Crown has highlighted a strong correlation between higher average grades of gold and improved gold recovery, returning an average gravity gold recovery of 63.4%.

That strong gravity recovery rate is important for mill operators. Studies show every 10% of additional recovery in the gravity circuit has outsized impacts on overall performance.

Gravity is the cheapest processing step used to liberate gold from ore in conventional gold processing, ahead of cyanide leaching and flotation. The more gold recovered by gravity, the more savings are made at the plant on reagents and energy.

Mt Malcolm’s study assessed gold recoveries over multiple grades as well as the economic potential of the project by processing seven batches of samples from 62 mineralised intercepts from the February 2024 RC drilling program.

It used wet gravity separation at a nearby third-party plant to recover gold across the sample batches, which varied within a range of 34.7% to 87.7%.

M2M plans to process up to ~8,000 tonnes of high-grade material to assess both the plant’s efficiency and the samples’ amenability for the processing techniques, a meticulous sampling collection and processing regime has been implemented.

Future small scale mining operations on the cards

“The preliminary findings of the initial analysis of the gold recovery across seven sample batches reveals a consistent trend that is higher average gold grades correlate with better recovery efficiencies,” M2M managing director Trevor Dixon says.

“This result enhances the future mining potential at the Golden Crown prospect, emphasizing shallow, higher-grade gold mineralisation.

“The proximity and availability of a pilot processing plant further strengthens the Golden Crown Prospect for future small scale mining operations.”

Bulk sampling shaping near-term development

Site preparation has begun for the bulk sampling program, which targets up to ~8,000 tonnes of high-grade shallow gold mineralisation.

These initial results indicate positive findings regarding gold recovery, reinforcing the prospect’s economic potential.

As M2M progresses with its bulk sampling and further exploration, these insights will play a pivotal role in shaping near future development strategies.

This article was developed in collaboration with Mt Malcolm Mines, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.