(TheNewswire)
Montréal, Quebec - TheNewswire - Jan24, 2023 - Sama Resources Inc. (“Sama” orthe “Company”) (TSXV:SME);(OTC:SAMMF) is pleased to announceinitial metallurgical testwork results from itsSamapleu nickel (“ Ni ”), copper(“ Cu ”), cobalt (“ Co ”) and platinum group elements(“ PGE ”) Project in Ivory Coast, West Africa . The metallurgical testwork comprised Locked Cycle Tests(LCT) on a composite from the Grata prospect, and batch flotationoptimization on a composite from the Samapleu Main deposit,. Thistestwork was completed by Blue Coast ResearchLtd (“ BCR ”), a leading metallurgical testing & consultingcompany based in Parksville, British Columbia.
Highlights:
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Testing has focused on composites taken from theSamapleu Main zone and the nearby Grata prospect.
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Based on these results, the flowsheet contemplated hasbeen modified to focus on the direct production of high-quality,directly-saleable copper and nickel concentrates, with potentialcobalt, platinum and palladium credits.
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On-site processing is greatly simplified using themodified treatment scheme.
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Locked cycle flotation tests ("LCT") werecompleted on the Grata composite. Results include:
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Copper recovery of 90.5% to a copperconcentrate grading 24.8% copper , 1.7 g/t platinum and 6.9 g/t palladium.
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Nickel recovery of 64.2% to a nickelconcentrate grading 13.9%nickel , 2.2 g/t platinum, 8.1 g/t palladium and0.59% cobalt.
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After two stages of cleaner flotation, batch Test F-35on the Main Composite from Samapleu yielded the followingresults:
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Copper recovery of 85.3% to a copperconcentrate grading 25.6% copper
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Nickel recovery of 64.0% to a nickelconcentrate grading 13.3%nickel , and 0.53% cobalt.
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The copper and nickel concentrates from Test F-35 alsocontained 6.0 g/t and 5.8 g/t palladium and 1.4 g/t and 3.4 g/tplatinum, respectively.
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Metallurgical LCT testwork on the Sama Main zonecomposite is ongoing and results will be reported once this work isconcluded. The concentrates from metallurgicaltestwork contain attractive nickel and copper grades for sale tosmelters and are anticipated to contain payable amounts of platinum,palladium and cobalt.
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Metallurgical testwork is ongoing on a third compositefrom the Extension 1 zone.
“We are excited by the results from the initialtesting phase for the Grata Prospect and the improved and simplifiedmetallurgy being demonstrated on material from the Samapleu Prospect.The high-grade nickel and copper concentrates are clear testimonies ofthe quality of the mineralised material amenable for open-pitoperations at the Samapleu project,” statedDr. Marc-Antoine Audet, President & CEO of Sama ResourcesInc.
Dr. Audet adde d, “Sama took another step in the right direction, with theseexcellent metallurgical results corroborating that the mineralisedmaterial at Samapleu and the recently discovered Grata prospectrespond favorably to traditional flotation concentrationprocesses. ”
Composite Design
Following a review of the Samapleu and Grata geology,drilling databases and lithologies, representative composites fortesting were designed based on the available drill core. A completedescription of the design of the composites will be provided as partof the final release on this phase of testing. However, highlights ofthe composites are shown in Table 1 below:
Table 1 :Metallurgical Testing Composite Head Assays
Composite | Nickel (%) | Copper (%) | Cobalt (%) | Platinum (g/t) | Palladium (g/t) | |
Grata | 0.36 | 0.48 | 0.02 | 0.07 | 0.57 | |
Samapleu Main | 0.31 | 0.30 | 0.02 | 0.19 | 0.33 |
Mineralogical Characterisation
The composites were subjected to mineralogicalcharacterisation using quantitative evaluation of minerals by scanningelectron microscopy (“QEMSCAN”). Modal analysis showed the main valuesulphide minerals present as chalcopyrite and pentlandite . Minor amounts of iron sulphides, occurring as mostlypyrrhotite, were also present. Most of the silicate gangue was presentin the form of various pyroxenes. The chalcopyrite and pentlanditewere well liberated at the grind size of approximately 80 percentpassing 140 microns, also applied in the 2020 PEA Study.
For any sulphide nickel deposit, a primary driverbehind the recovery of nickel to the nickel flotation concentrate isthe presence of nickel in sulphide form, as non-sulphide hosted nickelcannot be recovered to an economic concentrate by flotation. TheSamapleu and Grata prospect compare well against many of their peerdeposits in this respect, however like all such deposits, thedeportment of nickel as nickel sulphide will vary.
Flotation Testwork
Grata Composite
A series of rougher and cleaner batch flotation testswere conducted focusing on sequential flotation of the copper followedby the nickel. This represented a different strategy from priortestwork, which produced a bulk concentrate followed by copper-nickelseparation.
The new process employed sequential rougher flotationfor copper and nickel, with each concentrate being reground andcleaned three times.
The Grata composite yielded impressive metallurgicalperformance after only a few tests.
Two LCT were then performed. Both tests yielded goodgrade copper and nickel concentrates at good recoveries, however thesecond (“LCT #2”) was more stable and is the data source for thisrelease. LCT #2 consisted of eight cycles and exhibited exceptionallygood stability in both copper and nickel circuits. The final resultsprojection, for the base metals, was formed from the average of cyclessix to eight and is presented in .
Table 2 : GrataLocked Cycle Test #2 Metallurgical Performance Projection
Concentrate grade, % | Recovery, % | ||||||
Copper | Nickel | Cobalt | Copper | Nickel | Cobalt | ||
Copper concentrate | 25 | 0.98 | 0.04 | 91 | 4.5 | 3.6 | |
Nickel concentrate | 0.8 | 14 | 0.59 | 2.8 | 64 | 55 |
A copper recovery of 91% was achieved on a copperconcentrate at a grade of 25% copper. The nickel grade in the copperconcentrate was 0.98% which is not considered high enough to incurpenalties.
Nickel recovery to the nickel concentrate was 64% at agrade of 14% nickel. Of the nickel reporting to tailings,approximately 11% reported to a cleaner tailings stream, howeverfurther work to be reported in due course has revealed a promising wayto reduce this loss substantially. Significant cobalt was alsorecovered to the nickel concentrate, at a grade that will be payableby most smelters.
Both concentrates were enriched in palladium, thecopper and nickel concentrates assaying 6.9 g/t and 8.1 g/t,respectively. Platinum grades in the copper and nickel concentrates,at 1.7 g/t and 2.2 g/t respectively and are also expected to bepayable by some smelters.
More details on the flowsheet will be released once thework is complete.
Samapleu Main Composite
Work so far on the Samapleu Main Composite has beenlimited to batch flotation testing. However, results have beensimilarly encouraging, with high-grade copper and nickel flotationconcentrates being pulled from the composite after only two cleaningstages. The results shown in Table 3 below will shortly be confirmedwith locked cycle testing, which if successful should further boostrecoveries of all metals.
Table 3 :Samapleu Main Batch Test F-35 Metallurgical Performance
Concentrate grade, % | Recovery, % | ||||||
Copper | Nickel | Cobalt | Copper | Nickel | Cobalt | ||
Copper concentrate | 25.6 | 0.82 | 0.03 | 85 | 2.3 | 1.8 | |
Nickel concentrate | 0.72 | 13 | 0.53 | 4.2 | 64 | 48 |
A copper recovery of 85% was achieved on a copperconcentrate at a grade of 25.6% copper. The nickel grade in the copperconcentrate was 0.82%.
Nickel recovery to the nickel concentrate was 64% at agrade of 13% nickel. Some 48% of the cobalt was also recovered to thisconcentrate, which, as with the Grata Concentrate, will attract goodpayment terms from most smelters.
Both concentrates were enriched in palladium. Thecopper and nickel concentrates from Test F-35 assayed 6.0 g/t and 5.8g/t palladium, respectively. Platinum grades in the copper and nickelconcentrates assayed 1.4 g/t and 3.4 g/t.
Further testing is ongoing on these composites and alower-grade composite representing the Extension Zone in Samapleu.Results from this work will be released in the future release.
Concentrate Payables
Both copper and nickel concentrates produced from bothcomposites have attractive grades for sale to smelters. In addition,both concentrates are anticipated to include payable levels ofpalladium and platinum, whereas the nickel concentrate is alsoexpected to contain a payable grade of cobalt.
About the Grata Nickel-Copper-PGEProspect
The Grata mineralised zone belongs within a largermafic-ultramafic dyke-like structure dipping steeply to the SSE andoriented ENE-WSW considered to be one of several feeder conduits tothe extensive Yacouba Intrusive Complex discovered by the Company inthe early 2010s. Within this overall dyke form, sulphidemineralisation within pyroxenites is concentrated on both the footwalland hanging wall margins. The thickest and the highest-grademineralisation occurs in a zone of thickening about 850 meters long that plunges moderately to the east to depthsexceeding 400 meters (Figures1 & 5 ).
Mineralised materials at the Grata prospect arecomparable to those at the Samapleu deposit. These zones of thickenedmineralisation with high-tenor sulphides fit within a model ofchannelized magma flow in extensive transcrustal magma plumbingsystems, such as is proposed for the majority of large magmaticsulphide deposits.
Figure 5: Longitudinal cross-sectionE-W (ref: Figure 1) at the Grata prospect showing mineralised trend atdepth.
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Reported widths are “combineddrilled widths at cut-off grade,” not true widths.
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NickelEq%=((nickel%/100)*17,632)+((copper%/100)*8,155)+((cobalt%/100)*52,896)+((Ptppm)/31.1)*1,200)+((Pd ppm/31.1)*1,400)))/(US$ Nickel/t*100) using thefollowing metal prices of US$ 17,632/t nickel, US$8,155/t copper,US$1,200.00/oz Pt and US$1,400/oz Pd. A ssuming 100% recovery rates of sulphidesto concentrates.
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Assay results for several holes arepending.
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Hole GR-03 was drilled 80m north ofand parallel to this section and is therefore not shown.
Qualified Person and QualityAssurance
The metallurgical technical information in this releasehas been reviewed and approved by Chris MartinC.Eng, MIMMM, Consulting Metallurgist , while thegeological technical information has been reviewed and approved by Dr.Marc-Antoine Audet, Ph.D. Geology, P.Geo and President and CEO ofSama, both acting as a ‘qualified person’, as defined by NationalInstrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for metallurgicalreporting.
About Sama Resources Inc.
Sama is a Canadian-based ,growth-oriented resource company focused on exploring the Samapleunickel-copper project in Ivory Coast, West Africa. The Company ismanaged by experienced industry professionals with a strong trackrecord of discovery. Sama is committed to developing and exploitingthe Samapleu Nickel-Copper and Platinum Group ElementResources.
Sama’s projects are located approximately 600 kmnorthwest of Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire and straddle both sides ofthe Ivorian and Guinean borders in West Africa. Sama’s projects arelocated adjacent to the large world-class nickel-cobalt lateritedeposits of Sipilou and Foungouesso, forming a 125 km long new BaseMetal Camp in West Africa.
Sama owns 70% interest in the Samapleu nickel-copperproject in Ivory Coast, with its joint venture partner IvanhoeElectric owning 30%. Ivanhoe Electric has the option to purchase up to a 60% interest in the project. For moreinformation about Sama, please visit Sama’s website at www.samaresources.com .
About Ivanhoe Electric Inc.
Ivanhoe Electric (NYSE American: IE, TSX:IE ), is an Americantechnology and mineral exploration company that is re-inventing miningfor the electrification of everything by combining advanced mineralexploration technologies, renewable energy storage solutions andelectric metals projects predominantly located in the UnitedStates . For moreinformation, visit www.ivanhoeelectric.com
Contact Information:
Dr. Marc-Antoine Audet, President and CEO
Tel: (514) 726-4158
Mr. Matt Johnston, Corporate Development Advisor
Tel: (604) 443-3835 or (877) 792-6688, Ext. 5
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain of the statements made andinformation contained herein are "forward-lookingstatements" or “forward-looking information” within themeaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statementsand forward-looking information such as “will”, could”,“expect”, “estimate”, “evidence”, “potential”,“appears”, “seems”, “suggest”, are subject to a variety ofrisks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results todiffer from those reflected in the forward-looking statements orforward-looking information, including, without limitation, theability of the company to convert resources in reserves, its abilityto see through the next phase of development on the project, itsability to produce a pre-feasibility study or a feasibility studyregarding the project, its ability to execute on its development plansin terms of metallurgy or exploration, the availability of financingfor activities, risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretationof drill results and the estimation of mineral resources and reserves,the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits, the possibilitythat future exploration, development or mining results will not beconsistent with the Company's expectations, metal price fluctuations,environmental and regulatory requirements, availability of permits,escalating costs of remediation and mitigation, risk of title loss,the effects of accidents, equipment breakdowns, labour disputes orother unanticipated difficulties with or interruptions in explorationor development, the potential for delays in exploration or developmentactivities, the inherent uncertainty of cost estimates and thepotential for unexpected costs and expenses, commodity pricefluctuations, currency fluctuations, expectations and beliefs ofmanagement and other risks and uncertainties.
In addition, forward-lookingstatements and forward-looking information are based on variousassumptions. Should one or more of these risks and uncertaintiesmaterialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actualresults may vary materially from those described in theforward-looking information or forward-looking statements.Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance onforward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Except asrequired under applicable securities legislation, the Companyundertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-lookingstatements or forward-looking information, whether as a result of newinformation, future events or otherwise.
Neither the TSX-V nor its RegulationServices Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of theTSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of thisrelease.
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