TORONTO, Sept. 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EnviroGold Global Limited (“EnviroGold Global” or the “Company”) (CSE:NVRO), a clean technology company accelerating the world’s transition to a circular resource economy, is pleased to announce the results of metallurgical test work undertaken at the Company’s Australian Tailings Project. This test work involved the extraction of gold, silver and base metals from a metallurgically-complex volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) tailings deposit at an Australian mine. EnviroGold Global believes the proprietary extraction pathway identified for its Australian Tailings Project has enhanced the Company’s intellectual property portfolio, increased the Company’s addressable market, and paved the way for the Company’s proprietary solutions to be deployed at other complex, refractory tailings deposits around the globe.
Key Highlights
- EnviroGold Global’s Australian Tailings Project involved metallurgical test work carried out by Core Resources Pty Ltd. (“Core”) on well-studied tailings produced from VMS ore with an especially challenging metallurgical matrix that has resulted in substantial quantities of gold and silver being discharged into the tailings storage facility. Core is a specialist metallurgical development group based in Brisbane, Australia.
- EnviroGold Global’s Australian tailings research and development program has, so far, focused on the potential for precious and base metal recoveries from polymetallic VMS tailings. These are often characterized by complex mineralogical matrices with substantial unrecovered precious and base metal values.
- Extensive petrological investigation, including mineral liberation analysis (MLA) scans and laser ablation studies of the refractory tailings samples containing high levels of pyrite (up to 55%) and arsenopyrite, indicated that the occluded gold is sub-microscopic and is locked within the crystal structure of the sulphide minerals. Extraction of gold would thus require near-total dissolution of the sulphide minerals.
- Under the direction of EnviroGold Global’s technical team, the test work carried out at Core’s metallurgical facility in Brisbane has evaluated a range of experimental extractive approaches. This laboratory test work has allowed EnviroGold Global to identify a preferred extraction ‘pathway’.
- EnviroGold Global’s preferred proprietary extraction pathway involves sulphide dissolution followed by agitated leaching of the remaining insoluble residue.
- Preliminary metallurgical tests carried out in the laboratory at bench scale using the identified extraction ‘pathway’ show gold and silver recoveries as high as 59% and 90%, respectively. An optimization program intended to further increase recovery rates for the targeted metals is ongoing.
- The preferred ‘pathway’ has now been selected as a base case extraction method and work is proceeding on the preliminary design of a pilot plant test program.
EnviroGold Global’s CEO, Dr. Mark Thorpe, commented, “The proprietary recovery process identified for our Australian Tailings Project, in conjunction with other proprietary and proven remediation and resource recovery solutions at EnviroGold Global’s disposal, strategically positions our Company to reprocess and recover residual precious, critical, strategic and base metals from the millions of tonnes of refractory tailings deposits around the world, reducing the overall environmental footprint associated with these tailings and positively impacting the environment. The achievement of these preliminary, laboratory results is a testament to our technical capabilities, and to the talent and creativity of our team. We look forward to the continued expansion of our tailings reprocessing pipeline as we execute our mission to produce metals without mining while satisfying the world’s increasing demand for precious, critical and strategic metals by transforming mining waste into responsible resource development.”
Qualified Person Statement
All scientific and technical information contained in this news release was prepared and approved by Rod Ventura, Principal Metallurgist at Core Resources Pty Ltd, who is a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101.
About EnviroGold Global
EnviroGold Global is a clean technology company capitalizing environmental stewardship and sustainably supplying the world’s increasing demand for precious, critical, and strategic metals by reclaiming unrecovered value from mine tailings and resource development waste streams. EnviroGold Global leverages proprietary technology, superior operationalized knowledge, and an agile, efficient culture to recover valuable metals, recharge critical resources and accelerate the world’s transition to a sustainable circular resource economy.
Further Information
Mark B. Thorpe
EnviroGold Global Limited
Telephone: +1 416 777 6720
Email: mark.thorpe@envirogoldglobal.com
Jonathan L. Robinson, CFA
Investor Relations Contact
Telephone: +1 416 669 1001
Email: JRobinson@oakhillfinancial.ca
Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
Forward Looking Statements
This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking statements.
Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements 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 may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved". The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expected terms of the Australian Tailings Project and its completion, the Company’s working relationship with the owner of the Australian Tailings, the economic viability of the Australian Tailings Project and statements regarding any residual precious metals as a by-product of the remediation, the Company’s expansion of its reprocessing pipeline, and the Company’s ability to accelerate the world’s transition to a circular resource economy. Forward-looking information in this news release are based on certain assumptions and expected future events, namely: the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern; the continued commercial viability and growth in the clean technology and mining waste reprocessing industry; continued approval of the Company’s activities by the relevant governmental and/or regulatory authorities; the continued development of clean technology and mining waste reprocessing technology; and the continued growth of the Company. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: the potential inability of the Company to continue as a going concern; the Company’s inability to accelerate the world’s transition to a circular resource economy, the risks associated with assessing metallurgical recovery rates from mine tailings and waste and related volumetric assessments, the risks associated with the mining and mining waste recycling industry in general; increased competition in the clean technology and waste reprocessing market; the potential unviability of the clean technology and mining waste reprocessing market; incorrect assessment of the value and potential benefits of various transactions; risks associated with potential governmental and/or regulatory action with respect to clean technology and mining waste reprocessing; risks associated with a potential collapse in the value of clean technology and waste reprocessing; and risks relating to the Company’s potential inability to expand its reprocessing pipeline.
Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Company’s expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law.
