Junior explorer PNX Metals (ASX: PNX) has engaged Como Engineers to complete detailed engineering and design work relating to the processing plant and infrastructure at its wholly-owned Fountain Head gold development in the Northern Territory.
Como specialises in fit-for-purpose solutions and utilises modular and transportable equipment in its plant designs.
PNX will be working with the company to deliver a “design and construct” proposal for Fountain Head’s carbon-in-leach gold plant with sufficient detail and accuracy to allow for a fixed-duration, lump-sum price.
This approach will allow PNX to remove a large portion of the plant’s capital and execution risk.
The work will be completed over the next three months and will consider the utilisation of second-hand and alternative equipment options to achieve further reductions in capital and operating costs.
Additional design information, thickening and filtration test work will be undertaken by Metso Outotec, while rheology tests on samples from Fountain Head and the Mt Bonnie deposit will be completed by ALS Metallurgy.
Fast-tracking the plant
PNX managing director James Fox said Como’s work would help fast-track the development of the processing plant.
“We look forward to continuing to work with Como’s team over the next few months to lock in the plant’s design and construct contract proposal,” he said.
“Drilling will be ongoing to test new gold exploration targets in close proximity to our proposed mining areas.”
These targets include the South-East Zone, Far East Zone, NW Breccia, Banner and Far West and will be drilled for a total 2800 metres.
Broader development strategy
The Fountain Head project is located on granted mineral leases approximately 170 kilometres south of Darwin in the Pine Creek region of the Northern Territory.
It forms part of PNX’s broader sequential development strategy which includes the Hayes Creek gold-silver-zinc project.
Both projects host a combined mineral resource of 470,000 ounces of gold, 16.2 million ounces of silver and 177,000 tonnes of zinc, of which 68% is classified in the indicated category.
The development strategy will see a $46 million gold mining and processing operation at Fountain Head for five years, to be followed by operations at Hayes Creek from year four onwards.
PNX said its Northern Territory field activities including reverse circulation drilling at Fountain Head are continuing through the Northern Territory’s current COVID-19 lockdown, as the project is located outside of the declared lockdown area of Greater Darwin.
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