Soma Gold sees up to 94% met recovery from Cordero

Executive Summary

• Soma Gold Corp. reported positive results from a preliminary ore sorting study conducted on a 1,200-kilogram bulk sample from the Cordero mine in Colombia.
• The study utilized sensor-based sorting (SBS) technology with 3-D laser and XRT sensors to reject gangue material, aiming to increase gold grade and production efficiency.
• The results indicate that SBS technology can significantly upgrade ore grade while maintaining high metallurgical recovery, potentially doubling throughput and ounces produced at the El Bagre and El Limon mills.

Key Details

• Study Scope: Conducted at the Steinert Latinoamericana Test Center in Pedro Leopoldo, Brazil, using a 1,200-kilogram bulk sample from the Cordero mine.
• Objective: Achieve the highest possible metal upgrade by rejecting up to 50% of gangue material.
• Methodology:
  • Calibration samples representing four grade bins were scanned with four standard sensors.
  • 3-D laser and XRT sensors were selected for the bulk sample test.
  • Sample was crushed and screened into two size fractions (coarse and middling) and processed using a cascade method.
• Coarse Fraction Results: Up to 40% mass rejection and 94% metallurgical recovery.
• Middling Fraction Results: Up to 50% mass rejection and 86% metallurgical recovery.
• Fine Material: Not processed through the sorter; assayed separately to determine metal contribution.
• Overall Aggregate Results (Coarse + Middling):
  • Mass reduction: 70% (reduced from 1,200 kg to 570 kg).
  • Grade increase: 275% (increased from 7.45 g/t to 20.44 g/t).
  • Gold recovery: 90% of the gold in the bulk sample was accounted for in the final sorted product.
• Operational Impact:
  • Ore is amenable to sorting with high mass recovery and minimal metal loss to the reject stream.
  • Potential to increase gold production without adding plant capacity.
  • Next step: Install a pilot plant to process Run-of-Mine (ROM) material at a commercial level to optimize algorithm parameters.
  • Long-term potential: Installing equipment at El Bagre and El Limon mills could effectively double throughput and ounces produced, reducing reliance on either mill to maintain planned production levels.

Notable Quotes

• Mark Bren, Vice-President, Operations: "We are extremely pleased with the results of the sorting test. Ore sorting has the potential to significantly impact our operation by allowing us to increase gold production without adding plant capacity. Of course, this is the first step, and we will study the results to optimize the metal recovery and rejection curves to find the proper operating scenario. The next step is to install a pilot plant to process ROM material at a commercial level, enabling us to adjust algorithm parameters to optimize the sorted product for plant feed. Installing this equipment at each of the El Bagre and El Limon mills could effectively double throughput and ounces produced, reducing reliance on either mill to maintain planned production levels."