Awalé Reports Gold Recoveries of up to 98% at Odienné on Simple, Conventional Metallurgy
Odienné metallurgical tests show higher-than-assumed gold recoveries on simple flowsheets, feeding directly into Awalé’s planned economic studies.
Rhea-AI Summary
Awalé Resources (AWLRF) reported metallurgical testwork from the Odienné gold-copper project showing gold recoveries of 91.0% to 97.8% by conventional whole-ore cyanidation, with every BBM, Charger and Empire deposit exceeding the recovery assumptions used in the May 2026 Mineral Resource Estimate.
Modelled preferred flowsheets increased gold extraction to 93.7% at BBM, 97.0% at Charger and 98.2% at Empire, with the blended Project composite at 96.3% gold recovery. At BBM, adding gravity and copper flotation lifted gold recovery from 91.0% to 93.7% and recovered 92.3% of the copper, close to the 93% assumed in the resource model. Gravity recoverable gold was 45.0% at BBM, 53.4% at Charger and 70.2% at Empire into concentrates of less than 0.85% mass. The company said these results complete a core technical input for the upcoming Preliminary Economic Assessment and will guide future resource updates and drill result reporting.
Positive
- Gold recoveries 91.0–97.8% by whole-ore cyanidation, above all MRE assumptions
- Preferred flowsheets lift gold extraction to 93.7% (BBM), 97.0% (Charger), 98.2% (Empire)
- Project composite achieves 93.9% gold extraction, 96.3% under preferred flowsheet
- BBM copper recovery of 92.3% vs 93% assumed, plus 93.7% gold on below-average grade feed
- High gravity recoverable gold: 45.0% BBM, 53.4% Charger, 70.2% Empire at <0.85% mass pull
- Metallurgical program completes a principal technical input required for the Odienné PEA
Negative
- Copper concentrate grade at BBM is 16.18% Cu, noted as low by industry standards
- Gold in copper concentrate expected to realize less value than on-site doré production
- Reported extractions are lab results only and not projected plant recoveries
- BBM copper recovery of 92.3% comes in slightly below 93% assumed in the MRE
News Explained
The disclosure advances PEA processing inputs, but does not establish plant recovery or change the current resource estimate.
Awalé reports that the metallurgical testwork completes one principal technical input to the PEA, while the current Mineral Resource Estimate remains unchanged and plant recoveries are not established.
Here, metallurgical recovery means the share of metal that testing indicates could be recovered and sold; the reported extractions are laboratory results under stated conditions, not projected plant recoveries.
Follow-up work toward a Pre-Feasibility Study is being scoped, including locked-cycle flotation, extended gravity testing, cyanide optimization, and tailings-handling studies.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Highlights:
Higher demonstrated recoveries and simple metallurgy flow directly into future economic studies, including the Preliminary Economic Assessment, and into the gold-equivalent reporting grades used in future drill hole reporting.
Gold recoveries of
91% to98% , with every deposit exceeding the recovery assumed in the May 2026 Mineral Resource Estimate. Gold recovery was91.0% at BBM (versus86.0% assumed in the MRE),97.0% at Charger (versus91.4% ), and97.8% at Empire (versus94.1% ).Metallurgy is simple. A conventional gravity and cyanidation circuit works at all three deposits. Gold is coarse, free, and non-refractory, with no preg-robbing or deleterious-element issues identified.
BBM improves further with copper. Adding a gravity circuit and copper flotation lifts BBM gold recovery to
93.7% , while capturing92.3% of the copper into a potentially saleable concentrate.Robust gravity recoverable gold values at all three deposits. Laboratory testing returned overall three stage gravity recoverable gold of
45.0% at BBM,53.4% at Charger, and70.2% at Empire, to a concentrate mass of less than0.85% . This supports the inclusion of a gravity circuit in the flowsheet and the potential for significant gold recovery ahead of leaching.A core building block of the PEA is complete. These deposit-by-deposit results will underpin flowsheet selection, recovery assumptions, and processing cost estimates in the PEA.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 15, 2026) - Awalé Resources Limited (TSXV: ARIC) (OTCQX: AWLRF) (FSE: 2F60) ("Awalé" or the "Company") is pleased to report the results of detailed metallurgical testwork undertaken on its Odienné Gold-Copper Project ("Odienné" or the "Project") in Côte d'Ivoire. Testwork was carried out separately on the BBM, Charger, and Empire deposits, and on a blended Project composite, returning gold extractions of
"The metallurgy testwork at Odienné has returned better than expected results. Every deposit exceeded the recovery we assumed in our resource estimate and did so on a simple, conventional flowsheet with no surprises. That means more recoverable metal, stronger inputs for our PEA, and a better basis for reporting our drill results going forward," said Andrew Chubb, President and CEO of Awalé Resources.
At BBM,
Watch Video of CEO Andrew Chubb Discussing the Met Results
Metallurgical Testwork
Metallurgical recovery determines how much of the gold and copper in the ground can actually be recovered and sold. Recoveries of
Future mineral resource estimates — Recovery assumptions in future resource updates can now be based on measured, deposit-specific results rather than conservative estimates;
The PEA — These results complete one of the principal technical inputs to the PEA, underpinning flowsheet selection, recovery assumptions and processing cost estimates;
Recoverable metal — Higher recoveries mean more payable gold and copper from every tonne of mineralized material processed; and
Future drill result reporting — Gold-equivalent grades in future exploration results will be calculated using the measured, deposit-specific recoveries.
The program was completed by Alfred H. Knight Mineral Processing UK Ltd ("AHK"), an independent testing laboratory, under the direction of Bara Consulting Limited ("Bara"). AHK received approximately 1,060 kilograms of quarter- and half-diamond drill core in 77 core boxes, taken from 11 drill holes across the three deposits. This material was used to build ten zone composites, which were then blended into three deposit composites — BBM, Charger, and Empire — and one Project composite representing a blended plant feed.
Table 1: Drill holes selected for metallurgical analysis
| Deposit | Drill Holes Sampled | Zone Composites |
| BBM | OEDD-0105, OEDD-0122, OEDD-0157 | BBM1 to BBM5 |
| Charger | OEDD-0045, OEDD-0100, OEDD-0118, OEDD-0121, OEDD-0136, OEDD-0137 | High Quartz, High Actinolite, Polymetallic, Reserve |
| Empire | OEDD-0116, OEDD-0126 | Empire |
BBM material includes core from OEDD-0157, the hole reported on February 23, 2026 which returned 2.0 g/t AuEq. over 72 metres and was drilled in part to provide a metallurgical sample.
Head grades of the deposit composites were 0.90 g/t Au, 2.1 g/t Ag and
The program comprised head assays, modal mineralogy and gold deportment, Bond ball mill and Geopyörä comminution testing, gravity recoverable gold testing, whole-ore cyanidation across a range of grind sizes, bulk sulphide and copper flotation, and cyanidation of flotation concentrates and tailings. A primary grind size of 85 µm was selected for all composites.
Gold Recovery by Deposit
Table 2 - Metallurgical Gold Recovery by Deposit versus Mineral Resource Estimate Assumptions
| Deposit | Au Recovery Assumed in MRE (%) | Au Extraction — Whole Ore Cyanidation (%) | Au extraction — Preferred Flowsheet (%) |
| BBM | 86.0 | 91.0 | 93.7 |
| Charger | 91.4 | 97.0 | 97.0 |
| Empire | 94.1 | 97.8 | 98.2 |
| Project composite | - | 93.9 | 96.3 |
Notes to Table 2:
- MRE gold recovery assumptions are those disclosed in Table 2 of the Company's news release of May 19, 2026 and in the NI 43-101 Technical Report with an effective date of April 1, 2026.
- Whole ore cyanidation extractions are 48-hour bottle-roll results at an 85 µm primary grind. Preferred flowsheet extractions are modelled from open-circuit test results: whole ore leach for Charger; bulk sulphide flotation with cyanidation of concentrate and tailings for Empire; and gravity recovery with copper pre-float and cyanidation of the copper flotation tailings for BBM and the Project composite.
- Reported extractions are laboratory results and do not represent plant recoveries. Modelled BBM and Project composite flowsheet recoveries do not account for losses during downstream processing of the copper pre-float concentrate.
Copper is a material component of the BBM deposit only. At BBM, the preferred flowsheet recovered
BBM returned
Charger returned the strongest straightforward leach response, at
Empire returned the highest gold extraction of the three deposits at
Comminution and Flowsheet
Bond ball mill work indices classify BBM (13.8 kWh/t) and Charger (13.4 kWh/t) as average hardness and Empire (10.3 kWh/t) as medium-soft, with the blended Project composite at 12.9 kWh/t. Grind-recovery testing showed optimum gold extraction between 106 µm and 85 µm, with finer grinding to 65 µm producing no material recovery gain while increasing power draw, cyanide consumption and tailings handling difficulty. Sodium cyanide consumption ranged from 0.79 kg/t at Empire to 1.52 kg/t at BBM, with lime consumption of 0.10 to 0.25 kg/t, and AHK has advised that consumption can likely be reduced through dosage optimization.
Multiple flowsheet options were modelled across the deposit and Project composites, ranging from simple whole-ore leach through to gravity recovery combined with copper concentrate production. The results indicate that a conventional gravity plus cyanidation circuit is effective for all three deposits, with copper flotation representing an additional option at BBM where copper is a material contributor.
Next Steps
The metallurgical results reported here complete one of the principal technical inputs to the Preliminary Economic Assessment, in which flowsheet options are assessed against capital and operating cost estimates and product payability terms to determine the optimal processing route.
Alongside this work, the Company has been running preliminary economic modelling on the current Mineral Resource. That modelling indicates that the Project's economics would be materially improved by extending the mine life and by growing the higher-grade components of the resource, specifically the underground portion of BBM and the Charger deposit, both of which remain open.
AHK has also recommended follow-up testwork to bring the metallurgical program to study level, including a full suite of comminution testing, locked-cycle flotation testing to confirm copper circuit performance, extended gravity recoverable gold testing, cyanide dosage optimization, carbon adsorption isotherm, and kinetic testing for ADR circuit design, cyanide detoxification testing, and thickening and filtration testing for tailings disposal. This work is being scoped as part of the Company's advance toward a Pre-Feasibility Study.
Metallurgical Testwork and Quality Assurance
The metallurgical testwork described in this news release was completed by Alfred H. Knight Mineral Processing UK Ltd, an independent metallurgical testing laboratory, under project number 26-2356, and was managed on the Company's behalf by Bara Consulting Limited. Test charges were prepared from quarter- and half-diamond drill core supplied by the Company from holes drilled at the BBM, Charger, and Empire deposits. Core was stage crushed, homogenized by rotary splitting and recombination, and split to produce zone, deposit and Project composites. Head analysis comprised gold by fire assay, silver by ICP-OES, multi-element ICP-OES and ICP-MS, sulphur, carbon and copper speciation, and mercury by cold vapour. Cyanidation testing was conducted over 48 hours at controlled pH of 10.5 to 11 with periodic titration of the leach solution, and metallurgical balances were completed on solution, solid residue and loaded carbon assays. Flotation testing was conducted in Denver D12 cells on 1 kg charges. Reported extractions are laboratory testwork results at the scale and conditions described and are not, and should not be read as, projected plant recoveries.
Mineral Resource Estimate Reference
The metallurgical recovery assumptions referred to in this news release are those disclosed in the Company's news release dated May 19, 2026, "Awalé Announces Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate of 1.71 Moz Gold Equivalent for the Odienné Project", and in the NI 43-101 Technical Report prepared by Bara Consulting Limited with an effective date of April 1, 2026, available under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca. The Odienné Mineral Resource Estimate comprises an inferred resource of 32.4 Mt at 1.64 g/t AuEq. for 1,707,000 ounces AuEq. (1,389,000 oz gold and 93,000 tonnes copper), of which BBM contributes 27.8 Mt at 1.52 g/t AuEq., Charger 1.6 Mt at 4.64 g/t AuEq., and Empire 3.0 Mt at 1.23 g/t Au.
The gold equivalent grades reported in the Mineral Resource Estimate were calculated using the metallurgical recovery assumptions set out in that release. No revision to the Mineral Resource Estimate is being made or implied by this news release. The metallurgical results reported here will be applied in the Company's economic studies. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability.
Qualified Person
The metallurgical testwork results and other scientific and technical information contained in this news release have been reviewed and approved by Dr. Andrew Bamber of Bara Consulting Limited, a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). Dr. Bamber is independent of the Company and has 30 years of experience in metallurgical testwork design, interpretation and process plant design. Dr. Bamber has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release in the form and context in which it appears.
The Mineral Resource Estimate referred to in this news release was prepared under the supervision of Mr. Galen White, BSc (Hons), FAusIMM, FGS, Principal Consultant - Bara Consulting Limited, a Qualified Person as defined under NI 43-101 and independent of the Company.
About Awalé Resources
Awalé Resources is a diligent and systematic mineral exploration company focused on discovering large-scale gold and gold-copper deposits in Côte d'Ivoire. The Company's flagship Odienné Project now hosts an initial inferred Mineral Resource Estimate1 of 1.71 million ounces gold equivalent across the BBM, Charger, and Empire deposits (32.4 Mt at 1.33 g/t Au and
In addition to the current resource base defined on the joint venture ground, Awalé controls a 1,542 km2
The Odienné Project covers 2,338 km2 across seven permits, including 797 km2 held under the Awalé-Newmont Joint Venture. Awalé manages exploration activities across the joint venture area.
With a skilled and experienced technical team, together with support from three strategic shareholders, Awalé is advancing exploration in an underexplored and pro-mining jurisdiction with clear potential for district-scale discoveries.
Abbreviations Used in this Release
| Ag | Silver |
| Au | Gold |
| AuEq. | Gold equivalent |
| BWi | Bond ball mill work index |
| Cu | Copper |
| g/t | Grams per tonne |
| GRG | Gravity recoverable gold |
| kg/t | Kilograms per tonne |
| kWh/t | Kilowatt hours per tonne |
| koz | Thousand ounces |
| m | Metres |
| Moz | Million ounces |
| Mt | Million tonnes |
| MRE | Mineral Resource Estimate |
| oz | Ounces |
| PEA | Preliminary Economic Assessment |
| PFS | Pre-Feasibility Study |
| µm | Micron |
AWALÉ Resources Limited
On behalf of the Board of Directors
"Andrew Chubb"
Chief Executive Officer
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Andrew Chubb, CEO
(+356) 99139117
a.chubb@awaleresources.com
Ardem Keshishian, VP Corporate Development
+1 (416) 471-5463
a.keshishian@awaleresources.com
The Company's public documents may be accessed at www.sedarplus.ca. For further information on the Company, please visit our website at www.awaleresources.com.
Forward-Looking Information
This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, plan, propose, potential, postulate, target, continue, advance and similar expressions, or are those which, by their nature, refer to future events. All statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, the Company's presence in Côte d'Ivoire and ability to achieve results, creation of value for Company shareholders, achievements under the Newmont exploration agreement, advancement and expansion of the Odienné Project, the potential size, scale and quality of the mineral resource estimate at BBM, Charger and Empire, the conversion or upgrading of inferred mineral resources, timing and results of future drilling programs, resource expansion potential at BBM, Charger and Empire, and exploration and discovery potential at Fremen and other targets, the potential for additional discoveries, expectations regarding the timing and completion of a preliminary economic assessment and advancement toward pre-feasibility studies, timing for receipt of assay results, commencement and continuation of operations, and the potential development of the Odienné Project. Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations and assumptions will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, the results of exploration and drilling programs, the interpretation of exploration and mineral resource results, changes in mineral resource estimates, the ability to convert inferred mineral resources to indicated mineral resources, the ability to complete future economic studies, fluctuations in commodity prices, changes in the state of equity and debt markets, delays in obtaining required regulatory, governmental, environmental or other project approvals, availability of financing, and the other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, including those risks set out in the Company's management's discussion and analysis and other continuous disclosure documents filed under the Company's profile at SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Forward-looking information in this news release is based on the opinions and assumptions of management considered reasonable as of the date hereof, including, without limitation, that all necessary governmental and regulatory approvals will be received as and when expected, that financing will be available on reasonable terms, and that exploration, development and study activities will proceed as currently planned. Although the Company believes the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
1 The full Initial Mineral Resource Estimate news release dated May 19, 2026, including detailed assumptions and methodology, is available at www.awaleresources.com and SEDAR+ www.sedarplus.ca.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/314308
FAQ
AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
How will these metallurgical results be used in Awalé’s Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA)?
The metallurgical results complete one of the principal technical inputs to the PEA. They will underpin flowsheet selection, recovery assumptions and processing cost estimates, and will be incorporated into preliminary economic modelling already underway on the current Mineral Resource.
How do the new recovery results compare with the assumptions in the May 2026 Mineral Resource Estimate?
For gold, each deposit exceeded its prior metallurgical recovery assumption: BBM improved from 86.0% assumed to 91.0% by whole-ore cyanidation and 93.7% under the preferred flowsheet; Charger from 91.4% to 97.0%; and Empire from 94.1% to 97.8% by whole-ore cyanidation and 98.2% under its preferred flowsheet.
What testwork and materials underpinned the Odienné metallurgical program?
Independent lab AHK processed about 1,060 kg of quarter- and half-core from 11 drill holes, forming ten zone composites, three deposit composites (BBM, Charger, Empire) and one Project composite. Testwork included head assays, comminution tests, gravity recoverable gold, whole-ore cyanidation at an 85 μm grind, bulk sulphide and copper flotation, and cyanidation of concentrates and tailings.
What follow-up metallurgical work has been recommended toward a Pre-Feasibility Study?
AHK recommended additional study-level work, including a full suite of comminution tests, locked-cycle flotation to confirm copper circuit performance, extended gravity recoverable gold testing, cyanide dosage optimization, carbon adsorption isotherm and kinetic testing for ADR design, cyanide detoxification testing, and thickening and filtration tests for tailings disposal. Awalé is scoping this as part of its advance toward a Pre-Feasibility Study.
What are the key head grades of the composites tested in this metallurgical program?
The BBM composite head grade was 0.90 g/t Au, 2.1 g/t Ag and 0.425% Cu, below the 1.16 g/t Au average grade of the BBM Mineral Resource. Charger graded 8.91 g/t Au and 9.7 g/t Ag. Empire graded 1.63 g/t Au. The Project composite graded 2.06 g/t Au, 1.6 g/t Ag and 0.359% Cu.