Westhaven Reports 95% Gold and 96% Silver Recoveries in Preliminary Metallurgical Test Work at the Shovelnose Gold Property

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Westhaven Gold Corp. (TSX-V:WHN) is pleased to announce preliminary metallurgical test results at its 100% owned 17,623-hectare Shovelnose gold property. Shovelnose is located within the prospective Spences Bridge Gold Belt (SBGB), which borders the Coquihalla Highway 30 kilometers south of Merritt, British Columbia.

Gareth Thomas, President & CEO of Westhaven Gold, states: “We are pleased that two tranches of initial metallurgical test work undertaken by ALS Metallurgy Kamloops demonstrate high gold (average 95%) and silver (average 96%) recoveries from three quartz vein systems that comprise the South Zone. Mineralization is non-refractory and amenable to recovery by a standard industry process flowsheet. Results will support our maiden resource estimate on the South Zone, due in early Q1 2022.”

Highlights of Work by ALS Metallurgy Kamloops:

• representative samples (14.5 to 18.0 kg mass) were submitted from each of the three main quartz vein systems within the South Zone (four from Vein Zone 1, and one each from Vein Zones 2 and 3)
• feed grades for the six samples assayed between 3.3 and 37.1 g/t gold, and between 12 and 136 g/t silver – see table below for details
• sulphur measured between 0.3 and 0.7%; nearly all as sulphide sulphur
• carbon measured between 0.04 and 0.7%; with low levels of organic carbon (0.03 to 0.04%) with a low percentage as coarse “nugget” gold
• combined flotation recovery and cyanidation extraction of gold ranged from 93 to 98% (average 95%), and for silver from 95 to 98% (average 96%)
• recoveries through an industry standard process flowsheet were comparable for both lower and higher-grade samples, and for each of the three vein zones

Metallurgical Test Programs and Results:

Westhaven prepared six composite samples for preliminary metallurgical work from archived jaw crushed coarse (>70% passing 2mm square mesh sieve) ‘reject’ drill core material associated with routine sampling activities. This crushed drill core should be sufficient for scoping level testing, but there may be some degradation in the performance of the samples during testing. Westhaven has collected additional drill core from the South Zone during 2021 and, once the maiden mineral resource estimate has been completed, this fresh uncrushed core would be available for additional metallurgical testwork beyond scoping levels. Samples ranged from 14.5 to 18.0kg each (combined total of 97 kg), with four composite samples submitted to ALS Metallurgy Kamloops from Vein Zone 1 mineralization, and one each from Vein Zones 2 and 3. Results of two tranches of test work completed in 2021 are compiled in the table and figure below. A point form summary of the two metallurgical test results is also provided.