Scotgold '˜extremely pleased' with Cononish mine trial

Precious metals miner Scotgold today reported encouraging process with a bulk processing trial (BPT) at its project in the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.

Scotgold is now looking towards a full-scale plant at Cononish. Picture: Donald MacLeod

The Aim-quoted firm, which secured planning permission in April to crush ore that it had already extracted, using a portable pilot plant at its Cononish mine near Tyndrum, said the trial was proving “very effective”.

While Scotgold said there was currently insufficient data to draw definitive conclusions, tests have shown the feed grade was in line with the expected averages of 7.9g of gold per tonne of ore, with a further 39g per tonne of silver.

The company has now drafted in a consultancy, The Dragonfly Initiative, to help demonstrate the “marketability and profitability of hallmarked Scottish gold”.

Chief executive Richard Gray said: “We are extremely pleased with the way the BPT circuit is performing metallurgically as well as in terms of reliability and ease of operation.

“The results achieved indicate we may be able to enhance the design of the final full-scale plant, both in terms of recovery and operating cost. Work has now commenced on the feasibility of a phased development approach, which will benefit from the experience gained in conducting the BPT.”