- Starcore International Mines (TSX:SAM) reported the successful results of an in-plant test of the carbon-in-leach (CIL) circuit to treat carbonaceous ore at its flagship San Martin mine and processing plant
- This test confirmed that the current plant configuration can recover over 80 per cent of the gold and 63 per cent of the silver from these ores
- Further modifications, expected by the end of 2025, will allow processing of carbonaceous ore at the full plant capacity of 800 tonnes per day
- Starcore International Mines stock (TSX:SAM) opened trading at $0.22
Microcap gold and silver stock, Starcore International Mines (TSX:SAM) reported the successful results of an in-plant test of the carbon-in-leach (CIL) circuit to treat carbonaceous ore at its flagship San Martin mine and processing plant. This test, conducted by Kappes, Cassiday & Associates (KCA), an engineering firm specializing in heap leaching and cyanide processing, processed approximately 2,000 tonnes of carbonaceous ore over one month. The ore had a gold grade of 2.2 g/t and silver grade of 20.7 g/t.
The test confirmed that the current plant configuration can recover over 80 per cent of the gold and 63 per cent of the silver from these ores. Carbonaceous ore, currently mined from selected stopes in the San Martin underground area, can be processed alongside normal oxide ore using existing equipment.
KCA is now modifying the San Martin plant to enable continuous processing of carbonaceous ore.
“Now that the test has been completed, we plan to follow the test by processing 100 tonnes/day of the carbonaceous ore as part of regular plant production, gradually increasing to 180 tonnes/day within a few months,” Robert Eadie, Starcore’s CEO said in a news release. “The initially accessible carbonaceous ore has a gold content nearly twice the grade of the 600 tonnes/day of oxide ore and is now being successfully processed, boosting our expectations that it will significantly increase cash flow.”
Further modifications, expected by the end of 2025, will allow processing of carbonaceous ore at the full plant capacity of 800 tonnes per day.
This development is significant for San Martin, as processing carbonaceous ores has been challenging, and these ores have not been accounted for as ore resources. The geological department at San Martin is continually evaluating these ores and expects to report a substantial increase in both tonnes and gold grade of the available resource.
The latest NI 43-101 report indicates that the carbonaceous mineral at San Martin amounts to 880 thousand tonnes in various proven, probable, and inferred categories, yielding a total of 77,461 ounces of gold equivalent. The longitudinal and depth potential remains open.
This follows recent news from Starcore who released results for the three-month period ended January 31st, 2025, highlighting equivalent gold production of 2,268 ounces, C$9.0 million in gold and silver sales, and earnings from mining operations of C$2.1 million.
About Starcore International Mines
Starcore is a precious metals producer in Mexico with exploration and development projects in North America and Côte d’Ivoire.
Starcore International Mines stock (TSX:SAM) opened trading more than 4 per cent higher at $0.22.
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(Top photo via Starcore International Mines.)
