Sama Reports Initial Metallurgical Recoveries from the Grata Prospect and Improved Metallurgy from the Main zone at the Samapleu Nickel-Copper-Cobalt-Platinum Group Element (PGE) Project, Located in the Ivory Coast, West Africa
NR 2023-03
Sama Reports Initial Metallurgical Recoveries from the Grata
Prospect and Improved Metallurgy from the Main zone at the
Samapleu Nickel-Copper-Cobalt-Platinum Group Element
(PGE) Project, Located in the
Ivory Coast, West Africa
Montréal, Quebec Jan 24, 2023 – Sama Resources Inc. (“Sama” or the “Company”)
(TSX-V: SME; OTC -PK: SAMMF) is pleased to announce i nitial metallurgical testwork
results from its Samapleu nickel (“Ni”), copper (“Cu”), cobalt (“Co”) and platinum group
elements (“ PGE”) Project in Ivory Coast, West Africa . The metallurgical testwork
comprised Locked Cycle Tests (LCT) on a composite from the Grata prospect, and batch
flotation optimization on a composite from the Samapleu Main deposit,. This testwork was
completed by Blue Coast Research Ltd (“ BCR”), a leading metallurgical testing &
consulting company based in Parksville, British Columbia.
Highlights:
• Testing has focused on composites taken from the Samapleu Main zone and the
nearby Grata prospect.
• Based on these results, the flowsheet contemplated has been modified to focus
on the direct production of high-quality, directly-saleable copper and nickel
concentrates, with potential cobalt, platinum and palladium credits.
• On-site processing is greatly simplified using the modified treatment scheme.
• Locked cycle flotation tests ("LCT") were completed on the Grata composite.
Results include:
o Copper recovery of 90.5% to a copper concentrate grading 24.8%
copper, 1.7 g/t platinum and 6.9 g/t palladium.
o Nickel recovery of 64.2% to a nickel concentrate grading 13.9% nickel,
2.2 g/t platinum, 8.1 g/t palladium and 0.59% cobalt.
• After two stages of cleaner flotation, batch Test F-35 on the Main Composite
from Samapleu yielded the following results:
o Copper recovery of 85.3% to a copper concentrate grading 25.6% copper
o Nickel recovery of 64.0% to a nickel concentrate grading 13.3% nickel,
and 0.53% cobalt.
o The copper and nickel concentrates from Test F-35 also contained 6.0 g/t
and 5.8 g/t palladium and 1.4 g/t and 3.4 g/t platinum, respectively.
• Metallurgical LCT testwork on the Sama Main zone composite is ongoing and
results will be reported once this work is concluded.The concentrates from
metallurgical testwork contain attractive nickel and copper grades for sale to
smelters and are anticipated to contain payable amounts of platinum, palladium
and cobalt.
• Metallurgical testwork is ongoing on a third composite from the Extension 1 zone.
“We are excited by the results from the initial testing phase for the Grata Prospect and
the improved and simplified metallurgy being demonstrated on material from the
Samapleu Prospect. The high-grade nickel and copper concentrates are clear
testimonies of the quality of the mineralised material amenable for open-pit operations
at the Samapleu project,” stated Dr. Marc-Antoine Audet, President & CEO of Sama
Resources Inc.
Dr. Audet adde d, “Sama took another step in the right direction, with these excellent
metallurgical results corroborating that the mineralised material at Samapleu and the
recently discovered Grata prospect respond favorably to traditional flotation concentration
processes.”
Composite Design
Following a review of the Samapleu and Grata geology, drilling databases and lithologies,
representative composites for testing were designed based on the available drill core. A
complete description of the design of the composites will be provided as part of the final
release on this phase of testing. However, highlights of the composites are shown in Table
1 below:
Table 1: Metallurgical Testing Composite Head Assays
Composite Nickel (%) Copper (%) Cobalt (%) Platinum (g/t) Palladium (g/t)
Grata 0.36 0.48 0.02 0.07 0.57
Samapleu Main 0.31 0.30 0.02 0.19 0.33
Mineralogical Characterisation
The composite s were subjected to mineralogical characteri sation using quantitative
evaluation of minerals by scan ning electron microscopy (“ QEMSCAN”). Modal analysis
showed the main value sulphide minerals present as chalcopyrite and pentlandite. Minor
amounts of iron sulphides, occurring as mostly pyrrhotite, were also present. Most of the
silicate gangue was present in the form of various pyroxenes. The chalcopyrite and
pentlandite were well liberated at the grind size of approximately 80 percent passing 140
microns, also applied in the 2020 PEA Study.
For any sulphide nickel deposit, a primary driver behind the recovery of nickel to the nickel
flotation concentrate is the presence of nickel in sulphide form, as non -sulphide hosted
nickel cannot be recovered to an economic concentrate by flotation. The Samapleu and
Grata prospect compare well against many of their peer deposits in this respect, however
like all such deposits, the deportment of nickel as nickel sulphide will vary.
Flotation Testwork
Grata Composite
A series of rougher and cleaner batch flotation tests were conducted fo cusing on
sequential flotation of the copper followed by the nickel. This r epresented a different
strategy from prior testwork, which produced a bulk concentrate followed by copper-nickel
separation.
The new process employed sequential rougher flotation for copper and nickel, with each
concentrate being reground and cleaned three times.
The Grata composite yielded impressive metallurgical performance after only a few tests.
Two LCT were then performed. Both tests yielded good grade copper and nickel
concentrates at good recoveries, however the second (“LCT #2”) was more stable and is
the data source for this release . LCT #2 consisted of eight cycles and exhibited
exceptionally good stability in both copper and nickel circuits. The final results projection,
for the base metals, was formed from the average of cycles six to eight and is presented
in
Table 2.
Table 2: Grata Locked Cycle Test #2 Metallurgical Performance Projection
Concentrate grade, % Recovery, %
Copper Nickel Cobalt Copper Nickel Cobalt
Copper concentrate 25 0.98 0.04 91 4.5 3.6
Nickel concentrate 0.8 14 0.59 2.8 64 55
A copper recovery of 9 1% was achieved on a copper concentrate at a grade of 2 5%
copper. The nickel grade in the copper concentrate was 0.98% which is not considered
high enough to incur penalties.
Nickel recovery to the nickel concentrate was 64% at a grade of 14% nickel. Of the nickel
reporting to tailings, approximately 11% reported to a cleaner tailings stream, however
further work to be reported in due course has revealed a promising way to reduce this
loss substantially. Significant cobalt was also recovered to the nickel concentrate, at a
grade that will be payable by most smelters.
Both concentrates were enriched in palladium, the copper and nickel concentrates
assaying 6.9 g/t and 8.1 g/t , respectively. Platinum grades in the copper and nickel
concentrates, at 1.7 g/t and 2.2 g/t respectively and are also expected to be payable by
some smelters.
More details on the flowsheet will be released once the work is complete.
Samapleu Main Composite
Work so far on the Samapleu Main Composite has been limited to batch flotation testing.
However, results have been similarly encouraging, with high -grade copper and nickel
flotation concentrates being pulled from the composite after only two cleaning stages. The
results shown in Table 3 below will shortly be confirmed with locked cycle testing, which
if successful should further boost recoveries of all metals.
Table 3: Samapleu Main Batch Test F-35 Metallurgical Performance
Concentrate grade, % Recovery, %
Copper Nickel Cobalt Copper Nickel Cobalt
Copper concentrate 25.6 0.82 0.03 85 2.3 1.8
Nickel concentrate 0.72 13 0.53 4.2 64 48
A copper recovery of 85% was achieved on a copper concentrate at a grade of 2 5.6%
copper. The nickel grade in the copper concentrate was 0.82%.
Nickel recovery to the nickel concentrate was 64% at a grade of 13% nickel. Some 48%
of the cobalt was also recovered to this concentrate, which, as with the Grata Concentrate,
will attract good payment terms from most smelters.
Both concentrates were enriched in palladium. The copper and nickel concentrates from
Test F -35 assayed 6.0 g/t and 5.8 g/t palladium, respectively. Platinum grades in the
copper and nickel concentrates assayed 1.4 g/t and 3.4 g/t.
Further testing is ongoing on these composites and a lower-grade composite representing
the Extension Zone in Samapleu. Results from this work wil l be released in the future
release.
Concentrate Payables
Both copper and nickel concentrates produced from both composites have attractive
grades for sale to smelters. In addition, both concentrates are anticipated to include
payable levels of palladium and platinum, whereas the nickel concentrate is also expected
to contain a payable grade of cobalt.
About the Grata Nickel-Copper-PGE Prospect
The Grata minerali sed zone belongs within a larger mafic -ultramafic dyke-like structure
dipping steeply to the SSE and oriented ENE -WSW considered to be one of several
feeder conduits to the extensive Yacouba Intrusive Complex discovered by the Company
in the early 2010s. With in this overall dyke form, sulphide minerali sation within
pyroxenites is concentrated on both the footwall and hanging wall margins. The thickest
and the highest-grade mineralisation occurs in a zone of thicke ning about 850 meters
long that plunges moderat ely to the east to depths exceeding 400 meters (Figures 1 &
5).
Mineralised materials at the Grata prospect are comparable to those at the Sama pleu
deposit. These zones of thickened mineralisation with high-tenor sulphides fit within a
model of channelized magma flow in extensive transcrustal magma plumbing systems,
such as is proposed for the majority of large magmatic sulphide deposits.
Figure 5: Longitudinal cross -section E -W (ref: Figure 1) at the Grata prospect
showing mineralised trend at depth.
1. Reported widths are “combined drilled widths at cut-off grade,” not true widths.
2. NickelEq%=((nickel%/100)*17,632)+((copper%/100)*8,155)+((cobalt%/100)*52,896)+((Pt
ppm)/31.1)*1,200)+((Pd ppm/31.1)*1,400)))/(US$ Nickel/t*100) using the following metal prices of US$
17,632/t nickel, US$8,155/t copper, US$1,200.00/oz Pt and US$1,400/oz Pd. Assuming 100% recovery
rates of sulphides to concentrates.
3. Assay results for several holes are pending.
4. Hole GR-03 was drilled 80m north of and parallel to this section and is therefore not shown.
Qualified Person and Quality Assurance
The metallurgical technical information in this release has been reviewed and approved by Chris
Martin C.Eng, MIMMM, Consulting Metallurgist, while the geological tech nical information has
been reviewed and approved by Dr. Marc -Antoine Audet, Ph.D. Geology, P.Geo and President
and CEO of Sama, both acting as a ‘qualified person’, as defined by National Instrument 43-101
Standards of Disclosure for metallurgical reporting.
About Sama Resources Inc.
Sama is a Canadian -based, growth -oriented resource company fo cused on exploring the
Samapleu nickel-copper project in Ivory Coast, West Africa. The Company is managed by
experienced industry professionals with a strong track record of discovery. Sama is committed to
developing and exploiting the Samapleu Nickel-Copper and Platinum Group Element Resources.
Sama’s projects are located approximately 600 km northwest of Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire and
straddle both sides of the Ivorian and Guinean borders in West Africa. Sama’s projects are located
adjacent to the large world -class nickel-cobalt laterite deposits of Sipilou and Foungouesso ,
forming a 125 km long new Base Metal Camp in West Africa.
Sama owns 70% interest in t he Samapleu nickel-copper project in Ivory Coast , with its joint
venture partner Ivanhoe Electric owning 30%. Ivanhoe Electric has the option to purchase up to
a 60% interest in the project. For more information about Sama, please visit Sama’s website at
www.samaresources.com.
About Ivanhoe Electric Inc.
Ivanhoe Electric (NYSE American: IE, TSX: IE ), is an American technology and mineral
exploration company that is re-inventing mining for the electrification of everything by combining
advanced mineral exploration technologies, renewable energy storage solutions and electric
metals projects predominantly located in the U nited States. For more information , visit
www.ivanhoeelectric.com
Contact Information:
Dr. Marc-Antoine Audet, President and CEO
Tel: (514) 726-4158
Mr. Matt Johnston, Corporate Development Advisor
Tel: (604) 443-3835 or (877) 792-6688, Ext. 5
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain of the statements made and information contained herein are "forward -looking statements" or “forward-
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limitation, the ability of the company to convert resources in reserves, its ability to see through the next phase of
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its ability to execute on its development plans in terms of metallurgy or exploration, the availability of financing
for activities, risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results and the estimation of mineral
resources and reserves, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits, the possibility that future
exploration, development or mi ning results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations, metal price
fluctuations, environmental and regulatory requirements, availabi lity of permits, escalating costs of remediation
and mitigation, risk of title loss, the effects of accidents, equipment breakdowns, labour disputes or other
unanticipated difficulties with or interruptions in exploration or development, the potential for delays in exploration
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expenses, commodity price fluctuations, currency fluctuations, expectations and beliefs of management and
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In addition, forward -looking statements and forward -looking information are based on various assumptions.
Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove
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