Novo Achieves Targeted Crush Size For Trial Mine
VANCOUVER, BC / TheNewswire / April 13, 2016 - Novo Resources Corp. ("Novo" or the "Company") (TSX-V: NVO; OTCQX: NSRPF) is pleased to provide an update on crushing tests recently undertaken in preparation for trial mining at its flagship Beatons Creek gold project in Western Australia. During the latter half of March and early April, the Company tested various methods of crushing with the goal of optimizing liberation of gold particles from rock matrix. A crush size of less than one millimeter is considered ideal for the trial mining stage (please refer to the Company's news release dated March 16, 2016 for further details).
In cooperation with Perth-based 888 Crushing & Screening Equipment ("888CSE") and Austrian-based Rubble Master HMH GMBH ("RM"), Novo recently tested a state-of-the-art Rubble Master RM100GO! Impactor ("RM100GO!"; see Figure 1 below). Although such crushers are commonly used in the concrete and aggregate business, they are less commonly used for comminution during mineral processing. After discussions between Novo, RM and 888CSE, the RM100GO! was thought to be potentially capable of meeting the targeted crush size for Novo's trial processing. After retrofitting the RM100GO! with a 3 mm recirculating screen, 60 tonnes of mineralized conglomerate was test crushed (see Figure 2 below). Screen tests of pulverized product indicate a consistent crush size of better than 80% passing a 1 mm screen ("P80 -1mm") thus meeting Novo's goal (see Figure 3 below). Considering the feed material was raw conglomerate including matrix and siliceous boulders, this test proved remarkable. The mobility of the track-mounted RM100GO! makes it particularly desirable for the Beatons Creek project.
Pulverized rock from the RM100GO! was processed using Novo's IGR 3000 gold recovery plant. The finer product generated by the RM100GO! passed through the IGR 3000 much more effectively than material during previous trials because the fine grain size eliminated "pegging" in the IGR 3000 screen deck. Pegging results when particles get caught up in the holes in a screen thus preventing subsequent material from passing through. The IGR3000 was able to process pulverized product at a steady state rate of around 18 tonnes per hour. Like in previous trials, the IGR 3000 proved highly effective at capturing both fine grained and coarse gold (see Figures 4 and 5 below).
"We are very pleased with the success of our crushing test using the RM100GO!", commented Dr. Quinton Hennigh, President, CEO and director of Novo Resources Corp. "This crusher takes raw conglomerate, boulders and matrix, and generates a pulverized product easily within our targeted size of P80 -1 mm. Importantly, our IGR 3000 gold recovery unit appears to process the pulverized product with ease giving us confidence we can effectively process rock from our trial mine."
Novo plans to extract 30,000 tonnes of gold-bearing conglomerate from three test pits at Beatons Creek that it will process utilizing rock crushers and the IGR3000 gold recovery plant.
Trial Mine Permitting Update
The Western Australian Department of Mines and Petroleum has recently asked for further details about various aspects of the trial mining project resulting in a longer timeline than expected for receiving permits. Novo has been addressing all requests as they arise and hopes to have all necessary permits received in due course.
Blue Spec Follow-Up Sampling Commences
In a news release dated January 21, 2016, Novo announced high grade gold assays from surface rock chip samples collected at its Blue Spec gold-antimony project located approximately 20 km east of Beatons Creek. The Blue Spec project encompasses about 15 km of strike along the Blue Spec shear zone, an east-west trending corridor of steeply dipping structures cutting the 2.9 billion year old Mosquito Creek Formation and locally hosting high grade gold-antimony veins.
Novo has commenced systematic rock chip sampling to follow up on results from: 1) West Gold Spec where rock chip samples returned grades of 22.5-143.8 gpt Au and 0.1-2.5% Sb, 2) Middle Creek where a lone rock chip sample returned a grade of 47.7 gpt Au and 2.4% Sb, 3) Orange Spec where outcropping vein samples returned grades of 4.2-15.7 gpt Au, 4) Green Spec where outcropping vein samples returned grades of 2.5-38.6 gpt Au and 0.03-1.4% Sb, and 5) 20 Mile where vein samples returned grades of 3.0-15.8 gpt Au.
The goal of follow-up sampling will be to evaluate the continuity and strike length of veins as well as help define future drill targets. Given the robust grades in these five areas, Novo thinks there is good potential to discover near surface high grade shoots that might host significant resources.
Quinton Hennigh (Ph.D., P.Geo.) is the Qualified Person pursuant to National Instrument 43-101 responsible for, and having reviewed and approved, the technical information contained in this news release. Dr. Hennigh is President, CEO and Director of Novo Resources Corp.
About Novo Resources Corp.
Novo's focus is to evaluate, acquire and explore gold properties. Indirect subsidiaries of Novo hold a 100% interest in the core of the Beatons Creek gold project, a 70% interest in approximately 1,800 square kilometers surrounding Beatons Creek and at nearby Marble Bar, and a 100% interest in the Blue Spec gold-antimony project, all in the Pilbara region, Western Australia. For more information, please contact Leo Karabelas at (416) 543-3120 or e-mail leo@novoresources.com.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors,
"Quinton Hennigh"
Quinton Hennigh
CEO and President
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 news release.
Forward-looking information
Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information (within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation) including, without limitation, statements as to the expected receipt of results from various exploration and testing activities, and the anticipated timing of the receipt of permits and the commencement of the Company's trial mining program. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include, without limitation, customary risks of the mineral resource exploration industry as well as the speed of processing of Novo's permitting applications by the relevant government agency.
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(Figure 1: Rubble Master RM100GO! Impactor at a gravel quarry near Perth.)
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(Figure 2: Pulverized rock generated by the Rubble Master RM100GO! Impactor.)
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(Figure 3: Close up of pulverized rock produced by the Rubble Master RM100GO! Impactor. Initial screen tests indicate a crush size of P80 -1 mm.)
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(Figure 4: Fine grained Au recovered from RM100GO! pulverized product and separated using the IGR 3000.)
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(Figure 5: Coarse grained Au recovered from RM100GO! pulverized product and separated using the IGR 3000.)
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