Mining News: Northern Neighbors: Olive-Shamrock grades, recoveries look good

Victoria Gold Corp. May 16 released the first metallurgical column test results and heap leach kinetics for the Shamrock zone of its Eagle Gold project in the Yukon Territory. Completed by Kappes Cassidy & Associates, the first column leach test work for Shamrock resulted in a recovery of 88 percent gold at a crush size of P(100) 9.5 millimeters and 83 percent gold recovery at P(100) 75 millimeters crush size after only 43 days of leaching. Material for the column test was taken from a surface trench at Shamrock and represents oxide material. “The Shamrock metallurgical column leach results are extremely encouraging and substantially higher than we have seen at Olive or Eagle,” Victoria Gold President and CEO John McConnell explained. Drilling at Olive-Shamrock began on March 29 and 8,444 meters in 61 holes have been completed to date. Drilling started on Olive at the southwest end of the zone and has progressed along strike northeast to the Olive-Shamrock connection zone and into the Shamrock structure. On May 13, Victoria released the second set of results from this drilling. Highlights from the nine holes released include: DG16-655C cut 144.5 meters averaging 1.2 grams per metric ton gold in the Olive Main zone; and DG16-656C cut 73.8 meters of 1.6 g/t gold in and extension of the Olive zone. “Results from the 2016 Olive program are steadily arriving, and the assays received to date continue to demonstrate strong continuity of mineralization in the heart of the Main Olive Zone and importantly, along strike as we extend the program towards Shamrock,” McConnell added. The first Shamrock hole was collared on May 14, and Victoria plans to drill roughly 30 holes in this zone. The entire Olive-Shamrock drill program is expected to be completed before the end of June.

- Shane Lasley