IMPACT Silver Announces Results of Successful Dense Media Separation (DMS) Study at Capire VMS Production Center
IMPACT Silver Announces Results of
Successful Dense Media Separation (DMS)
Study at Capire VMS Production Center
Trading Symbol: "IPT: TSX.V"
VANCOUVER
,
Aug. 26, 2019
/CNW/ - IMPACT Silver Corp. ("IMPACT" or the "Company") (TSXV:
IPT) is pleased to announce results of successful gravity test work using heavy liquid separation
(HLS) on coarse composite samples from its Capire open pit VMS deposit and production center
("Capire") on the Royal Mines of Zacualpan Project in
Mexico
. These preliminary tests indicate that it
may be possible to pre-concentrate crushed run of mine material using a low cost Dense Medium
Separation (DMS) plant prior to milling and mineral processing, thereby reducing the overall cost of
processing at Capire and potentially bringing it back into economic production.
In an initial HLS test on a crushed sample of lightly-diluted mineralization from the Capire deposit,
the results showed that 25% of the sample mass could be rejected to a coarse waste stream whilst
retaining over 99% of silver, lead and zinc minerals, and over 97% of copper and gold in a HLS
concentrate. A second test on a low-grade (below current cut-off, or waste grade) sample showed
that over 42% of the mass could be rejected whilst retaining 93% of silver and lead minerals and
79% to 92% of Copper, gold and zinc in a HLS concentrate.
These results suggest that the addition of a DMS preconcentration plant to the Capire process
flowsheet could unlock some significant operating cost improvements that would subsequently allow
a lowering of cut off grade and access to otherwise uneconomic areas of the Capire deposit.
This is a similar operating philosophy to other operations around the world that utilize
preconcentration steps between mine and mill, such as Kroondaal Platinum (Sibanye Stillwater) in
South Africa
, Comide Copper (Eurasian Resources Group) and Kamfundwa Copper (Gecamines) in
the
Democratic Republic of Congo
, Navachab gold mine (QKR) in
Namibia
, Tati Nickel
(LionOre/Norilsk/BCL) in
Botswana
, plus the former
Nanisivik
zinc-lead mine (Breakwater
Resources) in
Nunavut, Canada
, DMS is also currently in use at the St. Lawrence Fluorspar project
in
Newfoundland
and has been used worldwide since the late 1940's in coal and diamond
processing.
Fred Davidson
, President & CEO of IMPACT stated, "We are encouraged by the results of this
successful coarse gravity separation test work and with additional testing we will assess how the
introduction of a DMS preconcentration process module may impact the economics to the point of
turning a profit from operations. We are continuously working on reducing production costs and the
application of innovative technologies have the potential to impart a significant positive impact on the
cost structure of our operations. Combined with this positive news and improving sentiments in
overall markets for precious metals in recent months – Capire now represents a realistic near term
expansion production site for IMPACT."
DMS Processing and HLS Testwork Details
The DMS plant utilizes a gravity separation process that relies on the small differences in density
between mineralized rocks and non-mineralized rocks and uses a non-toxic slurry of heavy media
and water to effect a separation. HLS testing is a bench-scale process that is used to simulate the
full-scale DMS process, and utilizes a static bath of organic heavy liquid at various densities to
incrementally split out the heavier mineralization (which sinks in the liquid) from the lighter waste
(which floats to the top of the liquid).
The industrial-scale DMS plant is designed to pre-process a coarse-crushed run of mine stream, and
to significantly reduce the amount of sub-economic (waste) material that would otherwise be
processed through the mill. As a relatively simple, environmentally friendly and cost-efficient
metallurgical process, it can significantly reduce the overall processing costs of the operation.
The Capire HLS tests were performed on material from two 20-kilogram samples representing
mineralization and waste rock which were collected from the Capire open pit. Both samples were
crushed to 100% -1/2" in preparation for testing. The head grades of the samples are shown in
Table 1 below:
Table 1- Sample Head Grades
Cu %
Pb %
Zn %
Au g/t
Ag g/t
S %
Main Ore Body
0.21
2.33
5.79
0.54
412
6.27
Waste Material
0.03
0.12
0.39
0.20
18.9
1.64
For the first HLS test (Test T1), a 5-kg composite of 85% Main Ore Body + 15% Waste Material
was created and for the second test (Test T2), a 5-kg sample of waste material alone was used. In
both cases, a -0.5mm "fines" stream was screened out, as this is too fine for DMS separations. The
-0.5mm fines are generally about 10% of the mass in a crushed product, and for the Capire samples
the fines carried significant metal content (13-20% of the Ag). Fines were therefore considered to be
a "concentrate" – ie. these products would be sent to the mill in combination with the DMS sinks.
Results of tests T1 and T2 are given below. Table 2- Results of T1
Product
Weight
Assays
% g/t
% Distribution
g
%
Cu
Pb
Zn
Au
Ag
S
Cu
Pb
Zn
Au
Ag
S
2.8 Sink
976.0
19.9
0.8
8.1
20.9
2.0
1594.0
19.5
76.9
84.8
86.4
67.1
73.0
72.7
2.7 Sink
704.0
14.3
0.1
0.3
0.7
0.3
98.0
2.4
5.9
1.9
2.2
7.3
3.2
6.3
2.65 Sink
1521.0
31.0
0.0
0.0
0.1
0.1
48.3
0.9
3.2
0.6
0.9
5.3
3.4
5.0
2.62 Sink
817.0
16.6
0.0
0.0
0.1
0.1
10.6
0.7
1.7
0.3
0.3
1.4
0.4
2.2
2.60 Sink
260.0
5.3
0.0
0.0
0.1
0.1
5.8
0.8
0.5
0.1
0.1
0.5
0.1
0.8
2.60 Float
131.0
2.7
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.1
19.2
1.5
0.3
0.1
0.1
0.6
0.1
0.8
Fines - 0.5mm
498.0
10.1
0.2
2.3
4.7
1.0
843.0
6.5
11.5
12.3
9.9
17.8
19.7
12.3
Head (Calc)
4908.0
100.0
0.2
1.9
4.8
0.6
434.0
5.3
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Table 3- Results of T2
Product
Weight
Assays % g/t
% Distribution
g
%
Cu
Pb
Zn
Au
Ag
S
Cu
Pb
Zn
Au
Ag
S
2.8 Sink
384.0
7.7
0.23
1.54
4.15
0.50
156.00
6.91
44.90
65.90
64.10
34.00
60.90
33.60
2.7 Sink
692.0
13.9
0.03
0.09
0.27
0.16
14.70
1.72
10.50
6.90
7.50
19.60
10.30
15.10
2.65 Sink
480.0
9.6
0.02
0.05
0.17
0.10
8.90
1.30
4.90
2.70
3.33
8.50
4.30
7.90
2.62 Sink
879.0
17.6
0.02
0.04
0.16
<0.02
4.70
0.79
8.90
3.90
5.70
3.10
4.20
8.80
2.60 Sink
1260.0
25.3
0.02
0.03
0.07
<0.02
3.40
0.66
12.80
4.20
3.50
4.50
4.40
10.50
2.60 Float
837.0
16.8
0.01
0.02
0.12
0.12
3.10
0.88
4.30
1.90
4.00
17.80
2.60
9.30
Fines - 0.5mm
449.0
9.0
0.06
0.29
0.66
0.16
29.00
2.61
13.70
14.50
11.90
12.70
13.20
14.80
Head (Calc)
4980.0
100.0
0.04
0.18
0.50
0.11
19.80
1.59
100.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
Note 1: Cu, Pb, Zn and S assays in %, Au and Ag in g/t
The following charts show these results on a cumulative basis (including fines) and highlight how the
incremental recovery of mass and metal drops towards the higher DMS "cut point" densities. The
recoveries shown in these figures are for sinks and fines combined. Figure 1 illustrates the results of
Test 1 (85% ore, 15% waste) and Figure 2 illustrates the results of Test 2 (100% waste). Red
dotted lines on the two charts indicate the predicted performance at a cut point of 2.66 kg/l:
For Test T1:
68% of mass is retained, along with 98-99% of silver, lead and zinc, plus 96-97% copper
and gold.
For Test T2:
73% of mass is retained, along with 95-96% of silver, lead and zinc, plus 91% of copper
and 80% of gold
About Capire VMS Deposit & Production Center
Capire is an open pit silver-lead-zinc(-copper) deposit located 16 kilometers southwest of IMPACT's
operating Guadalupe Production Center. The 200 tonne per day processing plant at Capire is on
standby but available to restart processing of mineral from the adjacent open pit mine which has a NI
43-101 compliant inferred resource of 1,786,000 tonnes grading 79g/t silver, 1.22% zinc and 0.54%
lead containing 4.5 Moz silver, 48 million lbs zinc and 21 million lbs lead at
$30
/tonne cutoff.
Additional mineralization not yet classified as mineral resources has been drilled below the planned
open pit (see IMPACT news release dated
January 18, 2016
for details).
About Dense Media Separation (DMS)
Dense Media Separation is a relatively simple and inexpensive method of pre-
concentrating mineralization before it enters the flotation process. It has been used extensively
worldwide on many types of minerals, including projects similar to the Capire. After crushing, the
material is run through cyclones using a ferro-silicon media that will allow un-mineralized rock to
"float" and be collected as waste while mineralized material will "sink" and be collected as
concentrator feed.
The benefits are significant as this process may reduce the amount of material hauled from the pit to
the concentrator by approximately 50%-70%, may elevate the head grades to the concentrator by
200% to 300%, may reduce the capital required to construct the concentrator, may reduce the
operating cost per ounce of silver produced and may reduce tailings produced by 50%-66. IMPACT
already has a 200 tonnes per day (TPD) concentrator on site.
Andy Holloway
, P.Eng., CEng., Principal Process Engineer for AGP Mining Consultants and a
Qualified Person as defined under NI43-101, has approved the technical information contained in this
news release related to the HLS and DMS test work.
Steven Ristorcelli
, C.P.G. (
U.S.A.
), Principal
Geologist for Mine Development Associates and a Qualified Person as defined under NI43-101, is
responsible for the Capire mineral resource estimate and directly related information in this news
release. George Gorzynski, P. Eng., Vice President and Director of IMPACT Silver Corp. and a
Qualified Person as defined under NI43-101, is responsible for the technical information in this news
release that is not related to the DMS test information or the Capire mineral resources estimate.
About IMPACT Silver:
IMPACT Silver Corp. is a successful silver explorer-producer with two processing plants on adjacent
districts within its 100% owned mineral concessions covering 211km
2
in central
Mexico
with
excellent infrastructure and labor force. Over the past thirteen years IMPACT has produced over 9.4
Moz of Silver generating revenues of
$180 million
, with no long-term debt. In the historic Royal Mines
of
Zacualpan
District three underground silver mines feed the central Guadalupe processing plant.
To the south, in the
Mamatla
District the Capire processing plant is on standby but available to
restart processing of mineral from the adjacent open pit or process any new zones of mineralization.
The adjacent open pit silver mine has a NI43-101 compliant resource of 4.5
Moz Silver
, 48 million lbs
Zinc and 21 million lbs Lead (see IMPACT news release dated
January 18, 2016
for details). Since
acquiring the project, IMPACT has compiled an exhaustive database at
Zacualpan
with over 5,000
old mine workings, assays for over 34,000 rock samples and over 54,000 drill core samples,
analyses for over 50,000 soil samples, and put six mines into production. Additional information
about IMPACT and its operations can be found on the Company website at
www.IMPACTSilver.com
.
On behalf of IMPACT Silver Corp.
"Frederick W. Davidson"
President & CEO
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
release.
Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements
This IMPACT News Release may contain certain "forward-looking" statements and information
relating to IMPACT that is based on the beliefs of IMPACT management, as well as assumptions
made by and information currently available to IMPACT management. Forward-looking information is
often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue",
"planned", "expect", "project", "predict", "potential", "targeting", "intends", "believe", "potential", and
similar expressions, or describes a "goal", or variation of such words and phrases or state that
certain actions, events or results "may", "should", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur
or be achieved.
Such forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks and assumptions, including with
respect to, without limitations, exploration and development risks, expenditure and financing
requirements, title matters, operating hazards, metal prices, political and economic factors,
competitive factors, general economic conditions, relationships with vendors and strategic partners,
governmental regulation and supervision, seasonality, technological change, industry practices, and
one-time events. Should any one or more risks or uncertainties materialize or change, or should any
underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and forward-looking statements may vary
materially from those described herein. IMPACT does not assume the obligation to update any
forward-looking statement.
The Company's decision to place a mine into production, expand a mine, make other production
related decisions or otherwise carry out mining and processing operations, is largely based on
internal non-public Company data and reports based on exploration, development and mining work
by the Company's geologists and engineers. The results of this work are evident in the discovery
and building of multiple mines for the Company and in the track record of mineral production and
financial returns of the Company since 2006. Under NI 43-101 the Company is required to disclose
that it has not based its production decisions on NI 43-101 compliant mineral resource or reserve
estimates, preliminary economic assessments or feasibility studies, and historically such projects
have increased uncertainty and risk of failure.
SOURCE
IMPACT Silver Corp.
View original content:
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/August2019/26/c4673.html
%SEDAR: 00001640E
For further information:
Jerry Huang, CFO | Investor Relations, (604) 681 0172 or
CO: IMPACT Silver Corp.
CNW 14:18e 26-AUG-19