OUR TRACK RECORD
NOVO RESOURCES - KARRATHA GOLD & BEATONS CREEK PROJECTS
The Details
TIMEFRAME: 2017-2018
CLIENT: Novo Resources Corporation
LOCATION: Western Australia
COMMODITY: Gold
SERVICES: Metallurgical Testwork Management | Due diligence
UNIQUE CHALLENGES
Sampling & testwork with presence of gold nuggets
UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES
Ore sorting testwork
CONTRIBUTION
De-risking testwork via bulk sampling and testing
Karratha Gold Project
In developing their Purdy’s Reward and Comet Well resources for the Karratha Gold Project, Novo faced significant challenges in adequately determining the gold head grade due to the presence of large gold nuggets. Large-scale samples (1-2t) were therefore required, with specific pilot-scale testing to accurately determine head grade. This was a unique challenge, and Novo turned to Chemech to assist with the metallurgical testwork program design and management.
The processing of the bulk samples required a multistage pilot plant (crushing/screening and gravity extraction) with a high degree of supervision, security, auditing, and stringent gold accountability. Chemech successfully designed and managed the testwork program, and sample head grades were determined with sufficient reproducibility to be included in the resource development.
Due to the significant presence of coarse gold, Chemech also provided technical support to Novo’s ore sorting testwork program. This included oversight of the testing at the vendors facility and interpretation of results.
Beatons Creek Project
To assess options for processing their Beatons Creek deposit, Novo evaluated processing the ore through the nearby Golden Eagle processing plant owned by Millennium Minerals Ltd (Millennium). Novo engaged Chemech to conduct due diligence on the operating performance and condition of the Golden Eagle plant and determine its suitability for processing Beaton’s Creek ore.
Chemech’s due diligence provided Novo with a detailed assessment of the suitability of the Golden Eagle plant in processing Beatons Creek ore. It identified the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and risks, including the those relating to Millennium’s proposed Sulphide Expansion Project using the INOx process. This allowed Novo to make a fully informed investment decision regarding purchase of the Golden Eagle plant.