Arizona Gold & Silver Inc (TSX-V:AZS, OTCQB:AZASF, FRA:A9J0) earlier this week reported positive metallurgical test results that management believes mark another important milestone in advancing and de-risking its gold project.
Speaking with Proactive, CEO Mike Stark said the latest testing demonstrated that the project’s mineralised material achieved gold recoveries of up to 99%, while approximately half of the recoverable gold was extracted within the first 10 days of leaching.
Stark explained that although exploration drilling establishes the size and quality of a mineral resource, confirming that the material can be processed efficiently is a critical step towards potential development. He said there is little value in defining a large resource if the gold cannot be economically recovered.
The CEO highlighted the speed of recovery as a particularly encouraging outcome, describing the performance as highly competitive. He said, “It’s exceptionally important that the material leaches, and it shows that it does. But the recovery is in such a fast pace of time, is the envy of a lot of operating mines out there.”
Stark attributed part of the positive outcome to the company’s decision to use a higher-pressure crushing process, which fractures the rock more effectively and allows the leaching solution to access the gold more quickly. He said this approach accelerates extraction and noted that the company had received positive feedback from industry participants following the release of the results.
Looking ahead, Stark said the latest metallurgical work completes another key element required to advance the project. He noted that Arizona Gold & Silver has now demonstrated several important project attributes, including favourable location, year-round drilling capability, access to power and water, and strong leach performance.
For investors, the metallurgical results represent another technical milestone that could help support future development studies and discussions with potential development partners. Demonstrating both high overall recoveries and rapid extraction rates may strengthen confidence in the project’s processing characteristics as the company continues to advance its evaluation.
As a near-term catalyst, Stark indicated that Arizona Gold & Silver expects to release additional news in the coming week, suggesting further updates as the company progresses the project.
