VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 3, 2021 / Orsu Metals Corporation (TSXV:OSU) (“Orsu” or the “Company”) is pleased to update on the results of the first phase of pilot mining at its Sergeevskoe project (see news release September 29, 2020).
From September 7, 2020 to November 28, 2020 (First Phase of pilot mining) the Company and Alexandrovskoe gold mine, its primary contractor (“Contractor”), extracted and processed 176 000 tons of mineralized material from Sergeevskoe.
The average grade of the mineralized feed material as assayed at the entrance to the processing plant over this period has been 1.41 grammes per ton (“g/t”) gold after mining dilution and mining loss. This is consistent with the geological model of the deposit and grade control drilling (see press release August 25, 2020).
The plant of the Alexandrovskoe gold mine, not originally designed to treat the Sergeevskoe mineralization, is located approximately 5 km west from the pilot pits at the Sergeevskoe project. It uses gravity-flotation-cyanidation with carbon-in-leach to recover gold. Over the first phase of pilot mining, gold recoveries averaged 65%. The recoveries into gravity concentrate exceeded our expectations while we believe that recoveries into flotation concentrate can be materially improved by adjusting the cyanidation time and optimization of absorption and desorption circuit.
The plant extracted 155.7 kilograms of gold or approximately 5 000 ounces of gold into Dore bars, which were delivered to the refinery.
The Company’s proportion of these sales, after deduction the Contractor’s cost of processing is estimated to be 175 million Russian rubles (approximately US$2.3 million) of which 75 million has been received with the remainder to be paid to the Company through to April 2021. Orsu and the Contractor mutually decided to suspend pilot mining temporarily given the need for the Contractor to revert to mining and processing its own ores.
Alexander Yakubchuk, the Company’s Director of Exploration, noted: “Grade control drilling and subsequent mining confirmed the integrity of our geological model. While gold grades received after more than 35,000 m of grade control drilling proved further support to the grades as per the geological model based on widely-spaced exploration drilling, the width of some mineralized bodies appeared to be wider than modelled and resulted in larger tonnage of oxidized mineralized material.
Dr. Sergey V Kurzin, the Executive Chairman, commented: “I firstly would like to thank our Contractor Alexandrovskoe gold mine for their participation in the bulk test and subsequent pilot mining exercises. Pilot mining proved particularly useful to determine the metallurgical qualities of different types of mineralized material that we find at the Sergeevskoe property. While the Contractor employed a traditional gravitation-flotation-cyanidation processing at the First Phase of pilot mining, we now also believe that direct cyanidation and heap leach approaches are to be investigated as an alternative and, likely, more efficient flow-sheet to extract gold.”
Qualified Person
Alexander Yakubchuk, the Company’s Director of Exploration, Ph.D., MIMMM, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed, verified and approved the exploration information disclosures contained in this press release.
About Orsu Metals Corporation
Orsu Metals Corporation is a mineral exploration and development company. The 90% owned Sergeevskoe gold project located in the Mogocha District of the Zabaikal’skiy Region of the Russian Federation is the focus of Orsu’s activities. Orsu has filed a technical report titled: “NI43-101 Technical Report on the Updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the Sergeevskoe Property, Zabaikalskiy Krai, Russian Federation” dated effective January 9, 2020 (the “Sergeevskoe Report”) to support the Inferred Mineral Resource of 30.42 million tons, grading 1.45 g/t gold and containing 1.417 Moz gold at a 0.5 g/t gold cut-off grade and US$1,450 per troy ounce of gold, optimized into an open pit constrained by the license boundaries at Sergeevskoe.
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.
Cautionary Statement:
Certain statements in this news release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates”, or “believes” or variations (including negative and grammatical variations) of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “should”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the future financial or operating performance of the Company and its mineral projects, the estimation of mineral resources, the timing and amount of estimated future production and capital, operating and exploration expenditures. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause Orsu Metals Corp. (“Orsu Metals” or the “Company”) actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. Forward-looking statements reflect management’s current views and are based on certain expectations, estimates and assumptions which may prove to be incorrect. A number of risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: global economic conditions; mineral price fluctuations; the Company will require significant amounts of additional capital in the future; competition for properties and experienced employees; minerals industry competition and international trade restrictions; possible loss of interests in exploration and development properties; mining and mineral exploration is inherently dangerous and subject to factors beyond the Company’s control; the Company’s mineral resources are estimates; the nature of exploration and development projects; environmental regulatory requirements and risks; currency fluctuations; government regulation and policy risks; the Company has no history of mining operations; property title rights; dependence on key personnel and qualified and experienced employees; delineation of mineral reserves and additional mineral resources; insurance coverage; dilution from further equity financing and outstanding stock options and warrants; the market price of the Company’s shares; the Company has never paid dividends and may not do so in the foreseeable future; litigation and other legal proceedings; technical innovation and obsolescence; disclosure and internal controls; and conflicts of interest. Companies typically rely on comprehensive feasibility reports on mineral reserve estimates to reduce the risks and uncertainties associated with a production decision. Some industrial mineral ventures are relatively simple operations with low levels of investment and risk, where the operating entity has determined that a formal prefeasibility or feasibility study in conformance with NI 43-101 and 43-101 CP is not required for a production decision. The demonstration of the economic viability of an industrial minerals deposit, as required under the General CIM Guidelines, may be satisfied by actual profitable production. The Company has not completed a feasibility study on, nor has the Company completed a mineral reserve or resource estimate at the Sergeevskoe project and as such the financial and technical viability of the project is at higher risk than if this work had been completed. Based on geological data, metallurgy and current engineering work completed or in process by Orsu Metals, the Company intends to move forward with the development of this asset beginning with a bulk test followed by pilot mining from two outer perimeter areas of the project. The Company further cautions that it is not basing any production decision on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability, and therefore there is a much greater risk of failure associated with its production decision. In addition, readers are cautioned that inferred mineral resources are considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. The development of a mining operation typically involves large capital expenditures and a high degree of risk and uncertainty. To reduce this risk and uncertainty, the issuer typically makes its production decision based on a comprehensive feasibility study of established mineral reserves. The Company has decided to proceed without established mineral reserves, basing decision on internal projections.
ENDS
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For further information, please contact:
Sergei Stefanovich, Managing Director, Orsu Metals Corporation
Doris Meyer, Corporate Secretary, Orsu Metals Corporation
E: [email protected]
SOURCE: Orsu Metals Corporation
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