Initial Metallurgical Results for LongCanyon Announced

 

VANCOUVER, BC - AuEx Ventures, Inc. reported encouraging recoveries of about 90% of contained gold from the first two series of bottle roll tests conducted on surface samples of gold mineralization collected from its 49% owned Long Canyon project in Elko County, Nevada. Long Canyon is a joint venture with Fronteer Development Group Inc. who owns 51% and is operator.

The first series of samples submitted for testing were four grab samples averaging about 2 kilograms each collected from four different exposures of gold mineralization in access roads constructed for drilling. These samples included mineralized Notch Peak and Pogonip formation limestones selected based on prior road cut channel sampling and geological mapping. The samples were submitted to McClelland Metallurgical Laboratories, Inc. of Reno, Nevada to determine the amenability of Long Canyon gold mineralization to standard recovery technology by way of bottle roll testing. The samples were screened at 6mm into two fractions and the resulting eight samples were subjected to evaluation. Gold extraction from the plus 6mm fraction samples ranged from 70.4% to 98.4% and gold extraction from the minus 6mm fraction samples ranged from 90.9% to 97.9%. The overall weighted recovery averaged 93% and reagent consumptions were low.

The second series of four samples submitted for testing were larger bulk samples averaging about 1.5 tonnes each and were taken from the same general location as the earlier grab samples. These samples were also submitted to McClelland Metallurgical Laboratories for bottle roll evaluation and, in addition, for column leach testing. Eight bottle roll tests were performed yielding an average of about 94% recovery of contained gold with low reagent consumption from material ground to 80% passing 106 micrometers. Eight column leach tests (two from each bulk sample) are presently underway using material crushed to minus 25 millimeters (1 inch) and four columns (one from each bulk sample) are underway from material crushed to minus 75 millimeters (3 inch). Results from these column tests should be available by the end of May.

These initial metallurgical results are encouraging and indicate that the Long Canyon gold mineralization is likely amenable to standard extraction techniques including heap leaching. The results from the ongoing column testing on surface samples are expected to support this conclusion. Additional metallurgical testing is planned using samples from deeper in the mineral system which will be obtained from core drilling scheduled to begin in May. All gold mineralization identified to date at Long Canyon appears oxidized and will be confirmed by the ongoing metallurgical program.

The company’s address is 940 Matley Lane, Suite 17, Reno, NV 89502, 775-337-1545, fax: 775-337-1542, email: [email protected].