Nevada Zinc Pleased with Initial Metallurgical Test Work at Lone Mountain

Nevada Zinc Corp. (TSXV:NZN) announced positive initial results from mineralogical and sample processing studies completed on representative non-sulfide mineralized material from its Nevada-based Lone Mountain zinc project.
As quoted in the press release:

Importantly, intitial test work showed that by using a 3.03 specific gravity (“SG”) ‘cut point’ in Heavy Liquid Separation (“HLS”) analysis, 79% of the zinc reported to a high grade zinc concentrate that would be a potentially saleable concentrate grading 36.7% zinc.  At a SG of 2.85, 92% of the zinc reported to the concentrate.  The mineralization and non-mineralized ‘gangue’ were found to have rather simple mineralogy and the HLS studies indicate that 90% of the potentially acid consuming carbonate gangue can be rejected using only HLS. The rejection of the potentially acid consuming carbonate minerals using only HLS is important given a reduction in non-zinc carbonate content would significantly reduce overall acid consumption if acid leaching were to be used in any eventual mill flow sheet. The Company continues to explore alternatives that have potential to drive value creation through standard and as well as innovative mineral processing solutions.

Bruce Durham, president and CEO of Nevada Zinc, commented:

Knowing that the high grade near surface mineralization we discovered on our Lone Mountain project was not typical sulfide mineralization, we were keenly aware of the need to evaluate the mineralogy of the mineralization and also determine processing options earlier in the exploration phase than typically required. We decided to initially investigate the possibility of upgrading the mineralization with just Dense Media Separation techniques using Heavy Liquid Separation testing as a proxy. We were pleasantly surprised to find that firstly, the mineralogy is rather simple and secondly that a simple process of crushing, grinding and Dense Media Separation can be expected to produce a concentrate of sufficent grade and quality to be a shippable and saleable product without any further beneficiation.  Dense Media Separation plants are becoming much more common and less costly and in our case may prove to be a simple way to very significantly reduce both capital and operating costs in any eventual process plant at Lone Mountain.

Click here to read the full Nevada Zinc Corp. (TSXV:NZN) press release.