Excellent Gold Extractions At Philadelphia Gold-Silver Project

VANCOUVER – Arizona Gold & Silver Inc.?has received the final metallurgy report on agitation and column leach test work performed on two bulk samples from the Philadelphia gold-silver property. The samples were entirely of oxidized material taken from underground and surface workings.  The objective of the program was to demonstrate the amenability of 1-2 grams per tonne gold material for heap leaching, the most cost-effective method for recovering precious metals from bulk tonnage gold deposits of this type.  

Column leach tests are the standard laboratory method for determining the amenability of oxide gold and silver bearing material to heap leach methods. The program established on a preliminary basis the optimum crush and recovery characteristics of the 1-2 grams per tonne gold material tested.  Agitation leaching at various grind sizes was performed to assess gold and silver extractions for milling purposes. The column test work was completed at several crush sizes to assess gold and silver extractions under simulated heap leach conditions.

Greg Hahn, Vice President of Exploration, said, “We have yet to see sulphides in old workings or in our drilling at Philadelphia. That being the case, we are very pleased with the results of test work on what I see as potentially large volumes of oxide material. The program demonstrated excellent gold extractions and modest silver extractions (as expected). Importantly, the column leach work demonstrates that our metal extractions at Philadelphia are in line with other heap leach operations in the region. The columns were still leaching gold at the end of the 177-day test period. Projections out to 360 days indicate additional extractions to 70% to 80% could be achieved, as during a commercial heap leach operation. The trade-off between higher capital and operating costs in a milling operation versus lower capital and operating costs for heap leaching would be the subject for an economic trade-off study down the road.”