Novo Completes Encouraging Gold Processing Trials With Steinert

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Novo Resources Corp. (“Novo” or the “Company”) (TSX-V: NVO; OTCQX: NSRPF) is pleased to announce that the Company has completed encouraging gold processing trials at the Steinert GmbH testing facility in Cologne, Germany.

Highlights:

• Preliminary tests of eddy current separator (“ECS”) technology indicate promising potential to directly extract gold nuggets from gravel. ECS technology is one of several dry processing methodologies being considered by Novo for gold recovery at its expansive Egina terrace gravel gold project.
• Tests conducted on a spectrum of nugget sizes ranging from 1-10 mm demonstrated consistently high gold nugget recovery via ECS technology. Nuggets that underwent testing were recently extracted from gravels at Egina.
• In addition to ECS technology, Novo conducted initial testing of Steinert mechanical sorting technology to detect small gold nuggets utilizing an Argos EM electro-magnetic sensor. Fine gold nuggets, approximately 1 mm, were consistently and readily detected indicating potential for direct mechanical sorting of gold nuggets.
• A combination of mechanical sorting and ECS technology is also being considered as a potentially viable means of dry processing at Egina.

“We are very encouraged by these initial laboratory test results utilizing ECS technology,” commented Rob Humphryson, CEO and director of Novo. “Our mantra when testing new technology and its application to our projects is to ‘test quickly and test cheaply,’ and we now have in hand sufficient encouragement from these tests to consider ECS technology highly prospective for application in the field.”

Phase one of the Company’s joint venture with Sumitomo Corporation at the Egina Gold Project centres around gaining a better understanding of geology (grade, continuity, controls, gold particle size distribution, gold location within gravels, gold genesis etc.) but also involves high level desktop studies and trials to develop potential future processing and mining methodologies.

Eddy current separators are predominantly used to recover select metals in the scrap metal industry. Material is fed onto a conveyor, the head pulley of which contains an adjustable high-powered magnet spinning at very high rotation rates, 4,000 rpm in Novo’s tests, independent of the speed of the conveyor. This spinning magnet induces an alternating magnetic field that differentially repels non-magnetic metals such as gold. This magnetic repulsion causes gold nuggets to lift, or fling, off the end of the conveyor belt where they can be separated from waste material by a steel plate. These trials were designed to establish whether Egina gold nuggets indeed react sufficiently to reliably be separated from waste material (please see videos 1 and 2).

Gold at Egina predominantly occurs as free nuggets of which most are above 1mm in size. This presents opportunity to explore innovative technologies, some used commercially in other applications such as ECS technology, to assess their efficacy for use at the Egina gold project.

ECS Testing:

• Testing was conducted upon two size fractions of gravel material sourced from Novo’s Egina project. Gravel was seeded with a range of nugget sizes down to 1mm size. Nuggets were recently recovered from the Company’s IGR3000 alluvial test plant being used to process bulk samples at Egina.
• 3-10mm size fraction results:
  º Nine nuggets ranging in size from 3 to 10mm were introduced into the gravels and seven tests were conducted, with nine out of nine nuggets being recovered in six tests and eight out of nine nuggets being recovered in one test. In the latter test, the smallest nugget was unrecovered.
  º Collation of these results indicates over 99% nugget recovery, higher by weight.
  º No waste particles were evident in the concentrate stream in any of these tests.
• 1-3mm size fraction results:
  º Greater than 90% of gold by weight was recovered from gravels during multiple tests.
  º A minor amount of ‘over-sort’, or waste material, was concentrated with gold, though representing significantly less mass than gold in the concentrate.
• Simulated testing was also conducted for nuggets contained within rock and clay matrix, an occurrence that represents a very minor proportion of gold observed in the field. It was observed that where gold made up over half of the mass of the particle, it responded sufficiently favorable for the ECS to allow differential separation.
• Simulated testing was also conducted to assess the potential impacts of moisture, and whilst quantitative analysis was not undertaken in the time allotted, it is evident that moisture is likely to have some impact upon recovery efficiency. Novo thinks this effect might be mitigated by measures including dry screening prior to processing.

Mechanical Sorter Testing:

To better understand the ability of Steinert mechanical sorting machines to separate free gold nuggets, four nuggets of around 1mm each were affixed to the conveyor belt and scanned by an Argos EM electro magnetic sensor. All 4 nuggets were reliably detected through each conveyor belt rotation, indicating a reasonable level of certainty of this technology being able to recover gold particles at least down to the 1mm size fraction.

Next Steps:

It is clear from this encouraging preliminary testing that ECS technology can play an important role at Egina, with potential application as a processing solution or an exploration tool, or both. This technology generates significant inherent advantages. It requires no water, no chemicals, is of low capital cost and is readily mobile. It can also be employed along with other technologies and is scalable. Novo thinks field tests are warranted at larger scale to better understand recovery efficiencies, operating costs and throughput rates. The Company plans further work with Steinert to study schemes in which ECS machines, or ECS machines in combination with mechanical sorting technology, can achieve efficient recovery of gold nuggets at Egina. As Novo learns more about gold size particle and mass distribution of gold in Egina gravels, the Company can then begin to estimate gold recovery. As mentioned above, ECS technology is one of a range of technologies being considered, all with the common attributes of requiring no water, no chemicals, low capital outlay, and being mobile and flexible.  

Video links:

Video 1: Merged videos and photos showing rear view, side view, concentrate and waste streams for 3mm-10mm feed

Video 2: Merged videos and photos showing feed blend nuggets excitation in magnetic field, rear view, side view for 1mm-3mm feed

Dr. Quinton Hennigh, P. Geo., the Company’s president, chairman, and a director, and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has approved the technical contents of this news release.

About Novo Resources Corp.

Novo’s focus is to explore and develop gold projects in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, and Novo has built up a significant land package covering approximately 13,000 sq km with varying ownership interests. For more information, please contact Leo Karabelas at (416) 543-3120 or e-mail [email protected]     

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

Novo Resources Corp.

“Quinton Hennigh”
Quinton Hennigh
President and Chairman

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Forward-looking information
Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information (within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation) including, without limitation, statements as to planned processing activities using an eddy current separator and the likelihood of their results. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include, without limitation, customary risks of the mineral resource industry as well as the performance of services by third parties.