Azarga Metals (AZR.V) released more data from its metallurgical test work on the samples the company has taken from its Unkur copper-silver project in Russia. The company had sent off samples with an average grade of 0.56% copper and 31-38 g/t silver for analysis, and the test work on the sulphide area shows a recovery rate of 87-92% for the copper and 82-88% for the silver while producing a copper concentrate with an average grade of 30% copper (which is on the higher end of the spectrum as a high-grade copper concentrate will be highly sought after).
The company also completed test work on the oxide zone where the copper recovery rate using cyanide leach came in at 56% while also recovering 97% of the silver. Azarga also tried to use sulphuric acid which yields much higher copper recovery results between 74% and 96% but no silver was recovered so Azarga will have to complete some trade-off studies to figure out what makes most sense from an economic point of view.
Disclosure: The author has no position in Azarga Metals at this point.
