Metallurgical Study Confirms Higher Gold Recoveries Attainable at Buckreef Gold

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TRX Gold Corporation
TRX Gold Corporation

Results return over 90% gold recoveries

TORONTO, Oct. 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TRX Gold Corporation (TSX: TRX) (NYSE American: TRX) (the “Company” or “TRX Gold”) is pleased to announce completion of the ongoing metallurgical variability study at the Buckreef Gold Project, with results confirming excellent gold recovery rates for the processing of sulphide ore.

Metallurgical test work on the sulphide ore portion of the project, which encompasses approximately 90% of the Buckreef Main Zone’s 2M+ ounce Au Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources1, has been an important area of focus for the Company, as it continues to grow the project in a low-risk, low-cost, value accretive manner. To date, the Buckreef Gold team has successfully delivered 3 mill expansions within 36 months, on time and on budget, thanks to careful planning, budgeting and execution.

As a key value driver for the Company, metallurgical testing began at the Buckreef Main Zone in June of 2021, whereby a straightforward flowsheet comprising of crush, grind, flotation, regrind and CIL was developed by SGS Canada. In a laboratory, bulk sample testing returned gold recoveries between 85.3% to 95.4%. In June 2023, a 6,500-tonne bulk sample of sulphide ore was tested on site at Buckreef Gold’s existing milling facility. This successful test reported gold recoveries from sulphide ore of 88.7%.

The recent and much larger metallurgical variability study reported on today, reiterates results from past test work and is now of greater importance as Buckreef Gold is processing a higher proportion of sulphide ore (80% sulphides to 20% oxides) at its newly expanded milling facility. As part of this recent phase of test work, drill core from a total of 18 metallurgical holes (2,367 meters) along the entire strike of the Buckreef Main deposit, were blended into samples that were then processed and tested against variable benchmarks within a processing flowsheet.

Highlights from the results demonstrate:

  • A finer grind size leads to a higher gold recovery: Batch samples were each milled at a specific grind size, incrementally finer in nature, resulting in incrementally improved gold recovery grades. The gold recovery rate increased from 81.2% to 92.5% as the grind became finer from 80% - 53 μm to 80% - 5 μm.

  • Results in line with current operational performance: For the 15 composites tested in the most recent study, recovery rates ranged from 79.9% to 87.0% in a gravity + floatation + leaching test at a grind size of 80% - 75 μm, which is consistent with what is being experienced in current operations. Buckreef Gold is also experiencing a relatively consistent tailings grade, regardless of head grade, at a grind size of 80% - 75 μm, further supporting the fact that increased grinding will lead to higher recovery rates.

  • Increasing gold recovery in current operations: Test results showed that the gold is finely disseminated in the pyrite and improved recoveries can be achieved by grinding finer below 25µm. An upgrade of the existing Buckreef Process Plant flowsheet to include rougher flotation and subsequent regrinding of the flotation concentrate, by using the regrind ball mill, is expected to achieve the targeted grind size (gold liberation) with minimum energy consumption. The Company is currently developing finer grinding initiatives to achieve gold recoveries above 90% for the sulphide ore.

  • Low cost, self-funded expansion opportunities can continue: The positive grade recovery results and increased understanding of the metallurgy of the Buckreef Gold Project, confirm the direction of TRX Gold’s current business strategy, by providing the Company with the optionality for near term mine planning of the sulphide ore. The results also speak to the robust project economics of the Buckreef Gold Project and the potential for future plant expansions and optimizations.

  • Positive outlook for additional Mineral Resources: This also bodes well for future Mineral Resource development, as the Company continues to focus on development of other high-priority gold zones, such as Anfield and Eastern Porphyry, where a 2023 brownfield exploration program returned very similar geologic and mineralization characteristics as the Main Zone, to which similar milling processes could apply.