West Red Lake Gold Announces Positive Metallurgical Test Results from Rowan Mine Deposit
November 15, 2023
Vancouver, BC
West Red Lake Gold Announces Positive Metallurgical
Test Results from Rowan Mine Deposit
West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. (“West Red Lake Gold” or “WRLG” or the “Company”) (TSXV:
WRLG) (OTCQB: WRLGF) is very pleased to announce positive metallurgical test results from the
Rowan Mine Deposit, which is part of the 100% owned Rowa n Property located in the prolific
Red Lake Gold District of Northwestern Ontario, Canada.
Highlights of Metallurgical Test Results
The Rowan Mine Deposit exhibits an excellent response using conventional metallurgical
techniques with a very high percentage of Gravity Recoverable Gold (“GRG”) . As expected, the
GRG component occurs as coarse gold, which is also seen at Madsen and the satellite deposits
Russet, Fork and Wedge (the “Satellites”). The metallurgical test work was completed using the
Madsen Mill Flowsheet with the same specifications and parameters currently in plac e at the
Madsen Mill.
• Test work completed on the Rowan Master Composites (“MCs”) indicates that Rowan
vein material can be processed through the Madsen Mill with minor changes to the
existing flowsheet.
• The results indicate the MCs tested produce very high gravity recovery with overall gold
extraction above 98% after a 48-hour cyanide leach of the gravity tailings.
• Gravity Recoverable Gold (GRG) ranged from 75.8% to 94.9% and the gold was found to
be coarse to very coarse.
• At a primary grind of 80% passing (P 80) 75 microns , very low cyanide consumption s,
below 0.23 kilogram per tonne (“kg/t”), were required to achieve gold extractions
above 98%.
Shane Williams, President & CEO, stated, "The results of this first phase of metallurgical test work
at Rowan have exceeded our expectations, and represent a significant step forward in de-risking
this high-grade resource. It is very encouraging to see gold recoveries in the order of 98% using
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the same process flow sheet as the Madsen Mill. Furthermore, t he high percentage of gold that
is able to be extracted via gravity methods only further increases our confidence in the Rowan
Deposit as a future source of high-grade, easily recoverable gold ounces that could potentially
add a significant boost to the overall production profile at Madsen.”
Details of Metallurgical Program
The metallurgical test program (the “Program”) was completed by Base Metallurgical
Laboratories (“BaseMet”), a leading metallurgical testing and consulting firm based in Kamloops,
British Columbia. The test work was completed on four (4) MC samples representative of Rowan
vein zones 101, 102, 103 and 104 (“MC-101”, “MC-102”, “MC-103” and “MC-104”, respectively).
The MC samples were created from contiguous intervals of material from 14 NQ-diameter
diamond drill holes throughout the Rowan deposit. The metallurgical test program was designed
and supervised by Kelly McLeod, P.Eng. (K-Met Consultants, Inc.).
TABLE 1 shows the head grades for the four MCs . Due to the nuggety nature of the gold in the
material, MC head grades vary with each test charge – for example, a range of 4.6 to 15.3 g/t Au
was measured during the leach tests.
TABLE 1. Head Assays for the Four Master Composites from BaseMet
Products Assays
Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) As (g/t) Cu (%) Fe (%) S (%) C (%)
MC 101 Hd 1 5.56 2.0 96 0.008 2.06 0.50 0.33
MC 101 Hd 2 6.32 1.3 104 0.008 2.08 0.52 0.34
Average 5.94 1.7 100 0.008 2.07 0.51 0.34
MC 102 Hd 1 11.10 1.5 412 0.004 1.62 0.41 0.46
MC 102 Hd 2 8.01 2.6 324 0.004 1.58 0.47 0.46
Average 9.56 2.1 368 0.004 1.60 0.44 0.46
MC 103 Hd 1 3.22 2.8 1754 0.018 5.44 1.95 0.61
MC 103 Hd 2 3.40 2.8 1470 0.017 5.64 1.88 0.64
Average 3.31 2.8 1612 0.018 5.54 1.92 0.63
MC 104 Hd 1 3.67 1.6 12 0.013 14.2 0.89 0.55
MC 104 Hd 2 1.00 1.6 12 0.013 13.9 0.87 0.55
Average 2.34 1.6 12 0.013 14.1 0.88 0.55
Discussion of the Metallurgical Program Results
The preliminary test work completed on the Rowan MCs indicates the material can be processed
through the Madsen Mill with minor changes to the existing flowsheet. The results indicate the
MCs tested produced very high gravity recovery with overall gold extraction after a 48 -hour
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cyanide leach of the gravity tailings above 98%. Like Madsen , the leach tests were completed at
low cyanide consumptions and successfully a chieved the target Cyanide Weak Acid Disso ciable
(“CNWAD“) in the final tailings of less than 1 ppm using the previously established Madsen
conditions for cyanide destruction.
Mineralogy and Comminution
Bulk Mineralogy Analysis (“BMA”) was completed on all four MC samples. As observed at Madsen
and the Satellite deposits, the main sulphide s present are pyrrhotite followed by pyrite.
Sphalerite is also present at Rowan and tends to often be spatially associated with visible gold.
FIGURE 1. Sulphur Deportment Chart showing relative abundance of sulphide minerals in the
Rowan Master Composites.
Comminution test work conducted on the MCs yielded the following results:
• The Rowan samples tested were harder than the Madsen and Satellite deposits.
• The Bond Ball Work Index (“Bwi”) for the Rowan MCs ranges from 16.2 to 18.2 kilowatt-
hour per tonne (“kWh/t”) – for comparison Madsen range s from 9.7 to 17.1 kWh/t and
averages 14.4 kWh/t.
• The SAG Mill Comminution (“SMC”) test results are outlined in TABLE 3 below.
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TABLE 2. Bond Work Index Summary for Rowan Master Composites.
Sample ID Bond BWI @ 106µm CSS
F80-μm P80-μm Gpr kW-hr/t
MC-101 2493 74 1.02 17.2
MC-102 2537 75 1.1 16.2
MC-103 2284 76 1.08 16.8
MC-104 2625 74 0.94 18.2
TABLE 3. SMC Test Results Summary for the Rowan Master Composites.
Sample ID Size Fraction
Tested (mm)
DWi DWi Mia Mih Mic
kWh/m3 % kWh/t kWh/t kWh/t
MC-101 22.4 - 19.0 10.4 90.0 27.1 21.8 11.3
MC-102 22.4 - 19.0 10.8 90.2 27.9 22.7 11.8
MC-103 22.4 - 19.0 12.5 98.0 29.8 25.0 12.9
MC-104 22.4 - 19.0 13.4 99.0 31.6 26.8 13.9
Sample ID A B sg ta SCSE AxB
SMC
MC-101 89.7 0.30 2.76 0.25 12.2 26.9
MC-102 100.0 0.26 2.76 0.24 12.4 26.0
MC-103 83.5 0.28 2.91 0.21 13.7 23.4
MC-104 80.5 0.27 2.89 0.19 14.2 21.7
Gravity Tests
• Gravity Recoverable Gold (GRG) test work was completed on MC-101, -102 and -103.
• All three MCs have a significant amount of coarse gravity gold.
• MC-101, MC-102 and MC-103 had a GRG of 93.0%, 94.9% and 75.8%, respectively.
• The gravity component is coarse to very coarse as seen in the Madsen and Satellite
deposits.
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Leach Tests
• The leach tests were completed using the Madsen Mill Flowsheet.
• The gold extraction at 24 hours (residence time in the Madsen leach circuit) was above
95% for all four MCs tested with high gravity recovery – for comparison, the Madsen mill
averaged 95%.
• The final extractions at 48 hours were above 98% with cyanide consumptions below
0.23 kg/tonne.
• High gravity recoveries to the pan concentrate of over 67% were recorded with the
exception of MC-103 which had a recovery of 42.3%. Operational data from the Madsen
mill averaged 45% recovery to the pan concentrate.
• Due to the coarse nature of the Rowan gold and slightly slower leach kinetics of MC-102
an additional leach tank will be added to the flowsheet.
• The Madsen detox circuit is designed for 1 hour residence time, 5:1 SO2:CNWAD and 30
mg/L CuSO4.5H2O with a target of less than 5 ppm CNWAD.
• The cyanide destruction test work completed on the MC’s indicates the Rowan material
can achieve a final tailings CNWAD of less than 1 ppm Au following the Madsen design
parameters and flowsheet.
FIGURE 2. Leach Kinetics for MC Samples MC-101, -102, -103 and -104.
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Additional Test Work and Opportunities
Additional metallurgical test work at Rowan will include PFS-level studies to confirm extraction
with varying head grades , as well as running the flowsheet on a number of variability samples
from throughout the Rowan deposit.
DISCUSSION
The Rowan Mine T arget consists of more than seven sub-parallel, near- vertical, east -west
trending veins that are currently defined over a strike length of approximately 1. 1 km –
mineralization remains open along strike and at depth. The orientation of the veins at the Rowan
Mine tend to follow the direction of D2 deformation, which is oriented in an east-west direction
over this part of the property. Individual mineralized vein zones usually average 1 .0 to 1.5m in
thickness, with an overall thickness of the Rowan vein corridor at around 115m. Gold
mineralization is typically localized within quartz -carbonate veins hosted within and along the
‘footwall’ margin of a porphyritic felsic intrusive, with increased grades often associated with the
presence of visible gold and base metal sulphides (e.g. galena, sphalerite). High -grade dilation
zones or ‘ore chutes’ along the Rowan vein trend have been recognized as important controls for
localizing thicker and higher- grade zones of gold mineralization. The position and geometry of
these dilation zones is well understood at Rowan.
The drilling completed at the Rowan Mine Target in 2023 has been focused on validating
historical data across the Inferred Resource, and also infilling apparent gaps in the analytical data
set which was a product of very selective sampling techniques implemented during previous
drilling campaigns. Assay results received from the 2023 drilling program continue to confirm our
thesis that quartz veining and gold mineralization continue at depth and along strike, with grades
consistent with, or higher than those outlined in the current Inferred Mineral Resource which
remains open in all directions. For example, the 100 Vein Zone - which is the furthest north vein
currently modeled within the overall Rowan vein corridor - was previously interpreted to be a
lower grade portion of the block model. Recent drilling has confirmed that higher grades are
present within the 100 Vein Zone below 150m elevation , suggesting that gold grades are
increasing at depth within this zone whi ch is a trend that has been observed elsewhere in the
Red Lake district. Drilling at the Rowan Mine Target area will continue with an emphasis on infill
and expansion of the existing high-grade mineral resources.
QUALITY ASSURANCE/QUALITY CONTROL
Drilling completed at the Rowan Property consists of oriented NQ-sized diamond drill core. All
drill holes are systematically logged, photographed, and sampled by a trained geologist at
WRLG’s Mt. Jamie core processing facility. Minimum allowable sample length is 0.5m. Maximum
allowable sample length is 1.5m. Standard reference materials and blanks are inserted at a
targeted 5% insertion rate. The drill core is then cut lengthwise utilizing a diamond blade core
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saw along a line pre-selected by the geologist. To reduce sampling bias, the same side of drill core
is sampled consistently utilizing the orientation line as reference. For those samples containing
visible gold (“VG”), a trained geologist supervises the cutting/bagging of those samples, and
ensures the core saw blade is ‘cleaned’ with a dressing stone following the VG sample interval.
Bagged samples are then sealed with zip ties and transported by WRLG personnel directly to SGS
Natural Resource’s Facility in Red Lake, Ontario for assay.
Samples are then prepped by SGS, which consists of drying at 105°C and crushing to 75% passing
2mm. A riffle splitter is then utilized to produce a 500g course reject for archive. The remainder
of the sample is then pulverized to 85% passing 75 microns from which 50g is analyzed by fire
assay and an atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) finish. Samples returning gold values > 10 g/t
Au are reanalyzed by fire assay with a gravimetric finish on a 50g sample. Samples with visible
gold are also analyzed via metallic screen analysis (SGS code: GO_FAS50M). For multi- element
analysis, samples are sent to SGS’s facility in Burnaby, British Columbia and analyzed via four-acid
digest with an atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP -AES) finish for 33 -element analysis on 0.25g
sample pulps (SGS code: GE_ICP40Q12). SGS Natural Resources analytical laboratories operate s
under a Quality Management System that complies with ISO/IEC 17025.
West Red Lake Gold’s Rowan Property presently hosts a National Instrument 43 -101 (“NI 43 -
101”) Inferred Mineral Resource of 2,790,700 t at an average grade of 9.2 g /t Au containing
827,462 ounces of gold with a cut -off grade of 3.8 g /t Au (NI 43-101 Technical Report, entitled
“Technical Report and Resource Estimate on the West Red Lake Project” authored by John Kita,
P.Eng., dated December 13, 2022 and filed December 30, 2022 on www.sedar.com). The Inferred
Mineral Resource is located in the area of the historic underground Rowan Mine site and situated
within a 1.8 k m strike length portion of the regional scale Pipestone Bay St Paul Deformation
Zone.
The technical information presented in this news release has been reviewed and approved by
Will Robinson, P.Geo., Vice President of Exploration for West Red Lake Gold an d the Qualified
Person for exploration at the West Red Lake Project, as defined by NI 43 -101 “Standards of
Disclosure for Mineral Projects”.
ABOUT WEST RED LAKE GOLD MINES
West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. is a mineral exploration company that is publicly traded and
focused on advancing and developing its flagship Madsen Gold Mine and the associated 47 k m2
highly prospective land package in the Red Lake district of Ontario. The highly productive Red
Lake Gold District of Northwest Ontario, Canada has yielded over 30 million ounces of gold from
high-grade zones and hosts some of the world's richest gold deposits. WRLG also holds the wholly
owned Rowan Property in Red Lake, with an expansive property position covering 31 k m2
including three past producing gold mines - Rowan, Mount Jamie, and Red Summit.
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ON BEHALF OF WEST RED LAKE GOLD MINES LTD.
“Shane Williams”
Shane Williams
President & Chief Executive Officer
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Amandip Singh, VP Corporate Development
Tel: 416-203-9181
Email: [email protected] or visit the Company’s website at
https://www.westredlakegold.com
Neither the 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.
Certain statements contained in this news release constitute "forward- looking statements". When used in this
document, the words "anticipated", "expect", "estimated", "forecast", "planned", and similar expressions are
intended to identify forward-looking statements or information. These statements are based on current expectations
of management, however, they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may
cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this news release and include without
limitation, statements relating to the Rowan Property potential and the Company’s future objectives and plans.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements. West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. does not