Azure: Oposura Research Promises Higher Grades of Zinc-Lead

Azure Minerals (ASX:AZS) has announced that its ongoing metallurgical test work program continues to make significant improvements on the already positive results from its  Oposura zinc-lead-silver project in Sonora, Mexico.

According to the press release, continued studies of the Oposura mineralized system “indicate that some of these thick mineralized zones may be more suitable to a ‘bulk’ mining approach rather than ‘selective’ mining, thereby reducing unit operating costs and maximizing resource recovery.”

As quoted in the press release:

Recent metallurgical testwork focused on optimising crushing, screening and dense media separation (DMS) processing prior to sulfide flotation to investigate this option. The use of DMS technology upgrades ‘bulk’ mined material by rejecting waste material ahead of entering the milling circuit. DMS is most effective in upgrading ore when there are distinct density differences between mineralized material and waste rock, as is the case at Oposura.

The crushing, screening and DMS process resulted in lead grades increasing from 4.10 percent lead in the crusher feed to 5.51 percent lead in the mill feed and zinc grades increasing from 6.06 percent zinc to 8.13 percent zinc, an overall upgrade of 34 percent for each metal.

Click here to view the full Azure Minerals (ASX:AZS) press release.