Happy Creek's Fox Tungsten Returns 70% W03 in Premium Gravity Concentrate
December 11 2013 - 11:30AM
Access Wire
December 11, 2013 - Vancouver, British
Columbia -
Happy Creek Minerals Ltd. (TSX-V:HPY, the "Company")
announces results from preliminary metallurgical work conducted on
its 100% owned Fox tungsten property.
The Fox property is
located approximately 75 kilometres northeast of 100 Mile House in
the south central Cariboo region of British Columbia, Canada.
Trenching and/or drilling in three areas that span a distance of
three kilometres have discovered high tungsten grades over
considerable thickness that are at or near surface. Drill
highlights from this new discovery include 7.35 metres of 1.22%
tungsten (W03), 19.4 metres of 0.82% tungsten, 11.0 metres of 0.80%
tungsten, 20.0 metres of 0.63% tungsten, 24.7 metres of 0.68%
tungsten and 22.0 metres of 0.76% tungsten at the RC zone. One
kilometer to the south at the BN prospect, F12-27 returned three
intervals: 4.1 metres of 1.78% tungsten, 14.8 metres of 4.0%
tungsten and 24.0 metres of 0.79% tungsten including 5.8 metres of
2.01% tungsten (Refer to Press Release dated November 19, 2012 and
September 9, 2013). Looking selectively at very high grades, to
date 28 drill intervals have returned a weighted average of 3.0
metres grading 2.33% tungsten.
During 2012, 816 kg
of rock was collected from the trenches at the BN, RC and BK zones.
The samples were submitted to Met-Solve Laboratories Inc. of
Langley, B.C., for initial mineralogy and metallurgical
investigation. The composite sample used for the test work graded
0.95% tungsten and 0.26% zinc.
The test sample was
processed first by removing zinc using flotation, and followed by
gravity concentration of tungsten using spirals and tables. The
first pass gravity circuit recovered an average 59.3% of the
tungsten into a concentrate with 43.3% W03. Importantly, this
simple first stage testing does not include the up-grading and
recovery benefits of subsequent cleaning, recycling and tungsten
flotation that is done in locked cycle testing. The results include
a 70% W03 product from the coarse cleaner concentrate that exceeds
published commercially viable grades. For reference, 70.0% W03
contains 700 kg W03 per tonne of concentrate and tungsten prices
for concentrate are currently around CAN$35.0/kg W03.
In addition, a
primary zinc cleaner concentrate yielded 18.4% zinc, 4.04 g/t gold,
156.0 g/t silver and 66.0 g/t indium, recovering 68.9% of the zinc
in less than1% mass yield. These preliminary results indicate that
the zinc and associated gold, silver and indium values could
potentially be recovered and upgraded in subsequent cleaning
stages.
Met Solve
Laboratories reports "The results indicate that excellent
upgradeability as a high grade tungsten product can be obtained"
and "The next phase of test work should be done to determine
attainable grade and recoveries with recycle streams via locked
cycle testing".
David Blann, P.Eng,
President and CEO of Happy Creek states "We are pleased to see this
very positive response from an initial, simple gravity
concentration circuit and the opportunity for a by-product with
zinc, precious metals and indium. With these tests being
successful, we can look forward to continue advancing this new, top
tier tungsten discovery."
Sample Details
Collection of the
test sample was performed by drilling and non-ex blasting of
trenches from the BN, RC and BK zones. Twenty six samples were
collected into large rice bags that totaled
816 kg, or roughly 31kg per sample. All samples were fully crushed
and a sample analyzed. The metallurgical sample was selected from
variable weight splits of 15 of the samples totaling 255 kg .This
sample returned characteristics including a target grind size of 91
micron particle size, a Bond work index of 12.7 KWhr/tonne, and a
process approach to employ flotation of zinc first, then
concentrate the tungsten in the remainder using Falcon spiral and
MAT (Met-Solve Analytical Table) to concentrate tungsten (scheelite
mineral) by gravity. At the current stage of the Fox property, the
metallurgical sample is not meant to be a final or representative
sample of the entire project, but to provide preliminary mineral
and metallurgical data to support further economic consideration
and direct future exploration strategies on the property.
Analytical results from the twenty six samples obtained from the
surface trenches are presented below.
Fox Trench
Samples
|
W03
|
|
W03
|
|
W03
|
Sample
|
%
|
Sample
|
%
|
Sample
|
%
|
93272
|
1.001
|
93282
|
6.508
|
93292
|
11.527
|
93273
|
1.246
|
93283
|
6.710
|
93293
|
5.928
|
93274
|
0.256
|
93284
|
3.645
|
93294
|
4.364
|
93275
|
0.499
|
93285
|
5.675
|
93295
|
0.623
|
93276
|
0.145
|
93286
|
1.753
|
93296
|
11.389
|
93277
|
0.029
|
93287
|
3.922
|
93297
|
2.535
|
93278
|
0.291
|
93288
|
4.641
|
|
|
93279
|
0.812
|
93289
|
5.562
|
|
|
93280
|
0.463
|
93290
|
3.380
|
|
|
93281
|
8.009
|
93291
|
1.196
|
|
|
A locked cycle test
is a series of repetitive batch tests (cycles) to simulate the
operations of a continuous process in which intermediate-grade
materials are recycled upstream. Depending on the sensitivity of
the separation, when equilibrium is reached in two or more cycles
the test is said to be 'locked' or 'balanced.' Cleaning of an
initial concentrate product means removing unwanted material to
effect an increase in grade of the concentrate. For tungsten
particles too small to be captured by a gravity circuit, flotation
is commonly used to increase recovery and produces an additional
concentrate product. These tests are normally involved in design of
a final mill flow sheet. Work done to date on the Fox has allowed a
locked cycle flow sheet to be developed for the next testing stage.
The Company plans to perform these additional tests once the Fox
tungsten deposits are more completely drilled off and more
knowledge is obtained on the grade distribution, mineralogy and
geology.
Additional drill
results are pending from the 2013 exploration.
On behalf of the Board of
Directors,
"David E Blann"
____________________
David E Blann, P.Eng.
President, CEO
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE
CONTACT:
David Blann, President, CEO
Corporate Office:
Phone: 604.662.8310
Email: Info@happycreekminerals.com
Website: www.happycreekminerals.com
Registered Investor
Relations:
James Berard Phone: 604-687-2768 Toll free:
1-877-459-5507
David Blann, P.Eng.,
is a Qualified Person as defined under Canadian NI43-101
regulations and has reviewed and approved the technical content of
this press release. Rock samples are shipped to Met Solve
Laboratories of Langley B.C.. Sample analyses is performed by Agat
Laboratories of Vancouver, B.C. by ICP and peroxide fusion for
tungsten. Gold analyses is by fire assay with ICP
finish.
Neither the TSX
Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term
is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts
responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this
release.
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