Summa Silver Corp. reported silver and gold recovery results from initial scoping-level metallurgical test work from its Hughes Project, near Tonopah, Nevada. Results demonstrate strong recoveries of silver and gold from the Murray and Belmont areas.

A Scoping-level metallurgical test program was designed by Ausenco Engineering Canada Inc. and completed by Base Metallurgical Laboratories in Kamloops, British Columbia. Metallurgical testing was managed by the Company and focused on refining multiple flowsheet options by conducting head sample characterization (assay and mineralogy) tests, cyanide kinetic leaching tests, rougher flotation tests, gravity tests and assay characterization of test work products (e.g., concentrates and tails). Two representative composite samples of mineralized, epithermal-related vein material were selected from drill holes at the Murray and Belmont targets.

These targets have seen the bulk of the recent drill testing by the Company. HC-1 was a 11 m composite sample from 8 holes drilled into the Murray Vein system of the Murray Target and HC-2 was a 13 m composite sample from 10 holes drilled into the Rescue Vein system of the Belmont Target. Samples were analysed for head assay grades which returned 224 g/t Ag with 2.05 g/t Au (HC-1) and 661 g/t Ag with 7.82 g/t Au (HC-2).

The composite samples responded well to cyanide leaching tests. Whole ore leach tests yielded silver recoveries of 86.1% and 56.8% and gold recoveries of 90.9% and 94.6%. Producing a gravity concentrate prior to leaching increased the silver recoveries to 88.9% and 86.3% and gold recoveries to 91.9% and 94.6%.

Recoveries for silver and gold were optimised in HC-1 by adding a rougher flotation circuit after concentrating the sample by gravity. Leaching of this product from HC-1 yielded a silver recovery of 96.7% and a gold recovery of 95.9%. Leaching of the rougher flotation concentrate increased the recovery of gold to 97.1% in HC-2, however, the silver recovery did not improve.

Flotation and leaching of the gravity concentrates have strong implications for maximum recoveries of silver and gold from the Murray vein and for gold from the Rescue veins of the Belmont target. Future work will also focus on investigating grind sensitivities on silver and gold recoveries. As additional targets and veins are drilled by Summa, additional metallurgical test work will be initiated from new zones (e.g., Ruby target).

At Base Metallurgical Laboratories, the samples were ground in a 2 kg Rod Mill to a 75 µm k80 grind size. Head assay analyses were conducted via ICP-OES (inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy) following an aqua regia digest. Gravity testing was conducted by centrifugal Gold Concentration using a Knelson MD-3 concentrator followed by cleaning on a Mozley C-800 Table.

The gravity concentrate was assayed for gold to extinction and the tailings from the Knelson and Mozley table were retained for cyanide leaching. Samples underwent rougher flotation collecting on four timed concentrates to determine kinetic recover rates for Ag, Au and S. The concentrates were reconstituted and leached in sodium cyanide along with the rougher tailings for precious metal recovery. Leaching tests were performed directly on whole ore samples as well as samples from gravity concentrates and rougher flotation tailings and rougher flotation concentrates.

Tests were completed in bottles on rolls which included 4 kinetic solutions measured after 4, 6, 24 and 48 hours of leaching. Products from the tests were assayed for gold and silver.