Monument Update on FEED study of Selinsing Gold Sulphide Plant Upgrade
July 5, 2018 News Release Release #11 - 2018
Monument Update on FEED study of Selinsing Gold Sulphide Plant Upgrade
Vancouver, B.C., July 05, 2018, Monument Mining Limited (TSX-V: MMY and FSE: D7Q1) “Monument”
or the “Company” reports on progress made with the basic gold processing plant design and the Front End
Engineering Design ( “FEED”) for its Selinsing Gold Sulphide Project ( “SGSP”) in Malaysia . Additional
testwork programs from independent consultants have pushed out the completion date which is now aimed for
mid-August, 2018.
Process and Engineering Design
The basic gold processing plant design and FEED form a major part of the Feasibility Study. It is aimed to
convert the existing oxide gold treatment processing plant to a sulphide treatment gold processing plant. As a
result, it would allow additional flotation pro cess and BIOX® process to be added to the existing plant with
certain alterations to the existing process. To date both design packages have been delivered for Monument’s
review, subject to further optimization should it be required upon additional flotation test work.
Basic Metallurgical Process Design
The design of the new processing facilities featuring: flotation, BIOX® oxidation, counter current decantation,
neutralisation and conventional CIL processing has now been completed by Orway Mineral Consultants
(“Orway”) and delivered to Monument for review . CIL tailings will undergo conventional cyanide
detoxification prior to the Activated Sludge Tailings Effluent Remediation (“ASTER™”) process. A water
recovery thickener will recover the bulk of process water from flotation tailings, neutralisation and ASTER™
discharge. The thickener underflow will be pumped to the existing tailings storage facility (“TSF”).
The BIOX® process is a patented technology for pre -treatment of sulphide -based refractory ores and
concentrates ahead of a conventional cyanide leach for gold recovery. Outotec, the owner of the patent has
produced an ASTER™ process design package for the biological destruction of residual cyanide and
thiocyanate. Operation of the ASTER™ process, as successfully practised at the Runruno BIOX® plant in the
Philippines, will provide clean water for milling and flotation and prevent the poisoning of the BIOX®
microbes by cyanide compounds.
FEED
Contromation Energy Services (“CES”) has submitted the engineering design of the new processing facilities.
The 3D model of the new processing plant has been incorporated into the available space around the process
plant while minimizing the loss of existing infrastructure. Best use has been made of the local topography with
the BIOX® cooling towers located at an elevated position. CES has also provided: major equipment data sheets
and specifications; material take -offs for earthworks, civils, structural steel, platework and piping; also the
specifications for medium voltage switchgear and low voltage motor control centres , cabling and
instrumentation requirements.
SRK Consulting (“SRK”) has provided a scoping level design confirming the feasibility to expand the existing
TSF. Detailed design will be carried out following further geotechnical investigations and testing of suitable
materials from borrow pits and open pit cutbacks.
Perth based geotechnical specialists, Peter O’Bryan and Associates (“POB”), has completed the slope stability
studies for both the Selinsing and Buffalo Reef pits, providing recommendations for new slope angles that will
provide a safe working environment for the development of these pits.
Metallurgical Testwork
Bioleach Variability Testwork
Following the announcement of bioleaching test results in February 2018, additional bioleaching variability
testwork has been conducted by SGS Johannesburg under the supervision of Outotec to determine the
metallurgical response of other ore sources to be processed in the first two years of production. The testwork
results have shown excellent bioleaching kinetics with 98-99% sulphide sulphur oxidation achieved within 18
days. Cyanide leaching of the BIOX® residues achieved gold dissolution of 94 -99% in the standard 24-hour
tests. It has confirmed the process being selected is most suitable for Selinsing and Buffalo Reef ore. No more
testwork is required.
Iron to arsenic solution grades indicated that the formation of a stable ferric arsenate compound would result
and toxicity charact eristic leaching procedure ( “TCLP”) testwork confirmed compliance with the USA
Environmental Protection Agency requirements.
The latest testwork included the testing of Selinsing Pit 5 hanging wall limestone for its acid neutralisation
capacity and pote ntial use in the BIOX® reactors and the neutralisation tanks. The limestone was found to
have excellent neutralisation characteristics and could be used for pH control in the BIOX® reactor tanks and
for neutralisation of the effluent solution and BIOX® res idue. Quotations have been sought for suitable
crushing and milling equipment both locally and overseas to produce milled limestone slurry.
Flotation Optimization Testwork
Additional flotation testwork has been commissioned at the Bureau Veritas laboratory in Perth on further
samples of drill core from Buffalo Reef. The aim of the testwork is to provide independent verification of the
flotation conditions reported by the in house R&D team that achieved better recovery rate of gold to the
flotation concentrate while maintaining the design sulphur grade and mass pull. The Bureau Veritas testwork
will be supervised by Orway.
Feasibility Study and Project Execution Plan
The equipment specifications and data sheets produced by CES hav e been used by Monument to solicit
quotations from appropriate equipment vendors . T he quotations received have been combined with the
material take-offs and schedules of rates to produce initial capital cost (“Capex”) estimates. Quotations have
been recei ved for specialist BIOX® and ASTER™ nutrients, flotation chemicals and flocculants towards
compiling the operating cost (“Opex”) estimate. Both Capex and Opex are under review and will be used for
economic assessment in the Feasibility Study. Geological modelling and mine plan review and update are in
progress to complete the internal Feasibility Study that will deliver the Sulphide Project Execution Plan, which
is also in progress to complete. The delay is primarily caused by external laboratory work, targeting completion
in mid-August, 2018.
Michael John Kitney, Ass. Met, M.Sc., MAusIMM has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical
disclosure in the news release as a Qualified Person under NI43-101 standards.
About Monument
Monument Mining Limited (TSX-V: MMY, FSE: D7Q1) is an established Canadian gold producer that owns
and operates the Selinsing Gold Mine in Malaysia. Its experienced management team is committed to growth
and is advancing several exploration and development projects including the Mengapur Copper and Iron
Project, in Pahang State of Malaysia, and the Murchison Gold Projects comprising Burnakura, Gabanintha and
Tuckanarra in the Murchison area of Western Australia. The Company employs approximately 190 people in
both regions and is committed to the highest standards of environmental management, social responsibility,
and health and safety for its employees and neighboring communities.
Cathy Zhai, President and CEO
Monument Mining Limited
Suite 1580 -1100 Melville Street
Vancouver, BC V6E 4A6
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION visit the company web site at www.monumentmining.com or contact:
Richard Cushing, MMY Vancouver T: +1-604-638-1661 x102 [email protected]
Wolfgang Seybold, Axino GmbH T: +49 711-82-09-7211 [email protected]
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Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release."
Forward-Looking Statement
This news release includes statements containing forward -looking information about Monument, its business and future plans
(“forward-looking statements”). Forward -looking statements are statements that involve expectations, plans, objectives or future
events that are not historical facts and include the Company’s plans with respect to its mineral projects and the timing and results of
proposed programs and events referred to in this news release. Generally, forward -looking information can be identified by the use
of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates",
"forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that
certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". The forward-looking
statements in this news release are subject to various risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results or
achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward -looking statements. These risks and certain other
factors include, without limitation: risks related to general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncert ainties;
uncertainties regarding the results of current exploration activities; uncertainties in the progress and timing of development activities;
foreign operations risks; other risks inherent in the mining industry and other risks described in the management discussion and
analysis of the Company and the technical reports on the Company’s projects, all of which are av ailable under the profile of the
Company on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Material factors and assumptions used to develop forward -looking statements in this news
release include: expectations regarding the estimated cash cost per ounce of gold production and the estimated cash flows which may
be generated from the operations, general economic factors and other factors that may be beyond the control of Monument;
assumptions and expectations regarding the results of exploration on the Company’s projects; assumptions regarding the future price
of gold of other minerals; the timing and amount of estimated future production; the expected timing and results of developme nt and
exploration activities; costs of future activities; capital and operating expenditures; succ ess of exploration activities; mining or
processing issues; exchange rates; and all of the factors and assumptions described in the management discussion and analysis of the
Company and the technical reports on the Company’s projects, all of which are available under the profile of the Company on SEDAR
at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated,
estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events
could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Acc ordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward -
looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable
securities laws.