As Novo Resources ramps up to a full 2020 exploration program capacity, the company has continued to produce impressive results showing ‘proof-of-concept’ that its Egina Terrace in the Pilbara is host to an extensive shallow gold-bearing gravel deposit. Bulk samples from broad areas across the Egina mining lease have yielded gold particle counts exceeding 48 particles per tonne from consecutive sample pits.
Novo has processed 342 one tonne bulk samples from targeted terrace gravels across the Egina mining lease through its mobile alluvial Knudsen, or “MAK” concentrating plant. The MAK plant is a centrifugal gold concentrator that uses G-forces to separate heavier gold particles.
During this first phase of sampling, Novo takes the MAK concentrate and meticulously pans the fine slurries down by hand, to the point where the gold grains, larger than one millimetre, can be counted which Nova reports as particles per tonne.
The TSX-listed company said it has identified significant expanses of gold-bearing gravels in the north western part of the Egina mining lease.
Another positive development in the southern part of the Egina mining lease were evident in MAK sample results which appear to average well above the 24 particles per tonne.
Notably, the company said that gold particle counts from the 2020 MAK samples are coming in higher than the 2019 swale, or gravel testing.
The next phase of exploration across the Egina mining lease will involve taking infill MAK samples. Novo said it will also be excavating larger 30-50 cubic metre samples that will be processed through its IGR 3000 gravity gold plant to quantify the gold grades more accurately.
Novo said it is planning on processing around 120 samples through the IGR 3000 plant.
The company will also look to collect bulk samples from the new Paradise gravel target, located 12km north of the Egina mining lease, to run through the IGR 3000 alluvial plant.
President and Chairman of Novo Quinton Hennigh previously said: …“Recently discovered broad gold bearing swales discovered at Paradise likely tie back to areas further south. This implies we have a network of swales nearly 10km wide and 17km from south to north to further explore around Egina, a small part of our large land holdings across the expansive terrace.”
With the potential for trial bulk mine test work looming, Novo is just starting to scratch the surface.
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