Firestone Ventures Completes Positive First Round of Metallurgical ...

Tag : sphalerite
Firestone Ventures recently announced it has successfully completedan initial phase metallurgical testing of the Torlon Hill zinc-leadproject mineralization.

"We are pleased with the initial test results from SGSLakefield on the Torlon zinc-lead mineralization and are continuingto work with SGS Lakefield on additional metallurgical studies. Weare also currently looking at several alternative processingtechnologies to optimize zinc extraction," says Lori Walton,President of Firestone Ventures Inc. "As predicted, the supplygap for zinc decreased in 2008, but the long term outlook for zincremains strong and the metallurgical testwork we have commissionedwill significantly advance the development of the Torlonproject."

A composite metallurgical test sample returning an average grade of11.3% zinc and 3.97% lead was used for the SGS metallurgicaltestwork. The mineralized sample responded positively to densemedia separation and at a specific gravity of 2.9 it was possibleto eliminate 55% of the acid consuming calcium phase in thematerial with losses of only 5% of the lead and 8% of the zinc.Flotation testwork produced zinc and lead recoveries up to 79% and82%, respectively. The final lead concentrate grade was in excessof 60% lead. Zinc concentrate grades ranged from 30-40% andadditional work is underway to examine options for producing anupgraded zinc product. These tests are preliminary and furtheroptimization of concentrate grades and recoveries are expected.Consulting firm Watts, Griffis and McOuat Limited is overseeing themetallurgical testwork in collaboration with Firestone personnel.

Smithsonite (ZnCO3) is the prevalent zinc mineral at Torlon Hill,occurring as a replacement to limestone, and resulting in highgrade mineralization locally exceeding 40% zinc. Other non-sulphidezinc minerals are relatively rare, but minor amounts of a hydrouszinc-carbonate (hydrozincite) and hydrated zinc-silicate(hemimorphite) are seen locally in the weathering zone. Thelead-carbonate mineral cerussite is important locally. There is noevidence of deleterious zinc-clay minerals such as sauconite.Traces of sphalerite have been found in a sulphide (mostlygalena-pyrite) zone at the base of the deposit. Silver-rich galenaveinlets cross-cut the pervasive zinc-replacement mineralization.

Torlon Hill is an intensely oxidized zinc-lead (plus silver)mineralized body hosted in Permian dolostone breccia and limestone.The carbonate unit has been tectonically thrust over aserpentinized basement sequence at the boundary between the NorthAmerican Tectonic Plate and the Caribbean Plate. The "tectoniccrush zone" is pervasively mineralized with thick zonesreturning in excess of 10% and locally up to 40% zinc. The tectonicsetting of Torlon Hill, near the suture between the North Americantectonic plate and the Caribbean tectonic plate, is likely thecausative factor for mineralization. The area surrounding TorlonHill has very high potential for hosting additional structurallycontrolled non-sulphide zinc deposits in addition to conventionalMississippi Valley-Type mineralization.

The zinc-lead (plus silver) mineralization at Torlon Hill iscontained within a shallowly southeast-dipping body measuringapproximately 400 metres long, 20 to 100 metres wide and up to 30metres thick. Previous high-grade drill intersections include 25metres of 26.77% zinc, 1.42% lead, 5.98% silver and 53.3 metres of9.66% zinc, 1.86% lead and 12.21 g/t silver. Most mineralizationdefined by drilling to date occurs on or near surface. The depositis still open to expansion, mainly to the west and south.

In other news, Firestone is pleased to announce that it has signeda Memorandum of Understanding to acquire 100% interest in certainmineral properties in Guatemala. The company has begun a detaileddue diligence program on the properties and additional details willbe released upon signing of the Final Agreement.

The road-accessible Torlon Hill project is located 18 kilometresnorthwest of the city of Huehuetenango, which is situated on thePan-American Highway in western Guatemala.

Firestone Ventures Inc. is a Canadian-based resource explorationand development company.

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