Ascendant Resources Inc. (TSX: ASND | OTCQB: ASDRF) has updated the market on a range of activities coming together for a feasibility study on the Venda Nova deposit at its Lagoa Salgada Project in Portugal. The company expects to complete the study by the end of 2022.
The feasibility programme is being led by Quadrante Engenharia e Consultoria, with input from MICON International, who will act as the qualified person for a 43-101 resource update and the metallurgy. Coffey will manage the flowsheet design and plant engineering services, SLR Consulting will manage the fill and tailings assessment, Grinding Solutions Ltd will focus on the detailed metallurgical test work, and Golder Associates will undertake a peer review of the feasibility study.
Mark Brennan, executive chairman, stated, “Our team in Portugal continues to work on several fronts to deliver our planned bankable feasibility study for the Venda Nova deposit by the end of 2022. We remain confident these programmes will deliver a robust development plan for an initial mine at the Venda Nova property. Over time, we expect ongoing exploration efforts to continue to expand the overall resources at Lagoa Salgada to expand the operations well beyond this initial development plan”
Activities towards feasibility
Ascendant has been undertaking an infill and expansion drill programme with drilling focused on upgrading a significant component of the Venda Nova deposit to the measured and indicated resource categories in support of the company’s feasibility study programme. The company is also drilling some exploratory holes looking to expand the overall resource.
By March 20th the company had completed 3,520m of the total 18,000m drill programme, with three drill rigs on site and a fourth rig due to arrive on site in early April.
Drilling has included six metallurgical holes, with two in the South Zone and four in the North Zone of the Venda Nova deposit. Assay results from these holes are expected in mid-April 2022.
The company added that samples from two drill holes had been prepared and shipped to Grinding Solutions Ltd for metallurgical testing, as Ascendent looks to better understand the variations in metal recovery across the Venda Nova deposit’s differing ore types. Over the coming weeks flotation testing and optimization tests will be conducted to determine recoveries for the South Zone.
Ascendent is also currently drilling the last of seven hydrogeological holes in the North Zone, with the hole expected to be completed by the first week of April. Post completion, various pumping tests will be conducted, and a hydrological model built by construction management firm, Consmaga.
A Scope Definition Proposal has been prepared and presented to the Portuguese Environmental Authorities.
Further geophysical exploration
In the meantime, International Geophysical Technology has commenced a Deep Penetrating Electromagnetic survey over the Venda Nova deposit testing for the presence of deeper massive sulphide horizons. The company report that initial results are encouraging, providing a footprint of the known ore bodies and additionally preliminarily identifying a relatively large conductor to the northeast of the current deposit.
For further information please visit: https://www.ascendantresources.com/
