Scorpio Gold Corp. (SGLD) is launching a two-phase sonic drilling and metallurgical test program at its 100%-owned Manhattan District Project in Nevada to evaluate surface material in historic waste dumps, tailings, heap leach pads and low-grade stockpiles as a potential near-term development opportunity. The company has engaged SLR International Corporation to design and execute the work, targeting data on grade, recovery characteristics, deleterious elements and material handling properties that regional toll milling operators would require.
Phase 1 plans approximately 35 vertical sonic drill holes, with continuous core from unconsolidated material and sampling at 0.5–1.0 metre intervals, followed by head characterization for gold, silver, sulfur and cyanide amenability. If results indicate potential economic value and spacing is sufficient, Phase 2 would see SLR prepare a Mineral Resource Estimate for the surface material, incremental to the existing Maiden MRE of 18,343,000 tonnes at 1.26 g/t gold (740,000 oz inferred). Management highlights that historical Manhattan production and less favourable past gold prices and technologies underpin the rationale for reassessing this material, and notes that the program is intended to test whether surface material could support future toll milling and provide a source of non-dilutive cash flow, subject to successful results and necessary financing, permits and third-party arrangements.