ESGold Corp. reported that metallurgical work at its fully permitted Montauban Gold-Silver Project in Quebec has validated the company's processing strategy for all site feedstock, including railway tailings, confirming the Merrill Crowe closed circuit as the optimal processing path. Gravity separation tests showed concentrate grades were insufficient for direct gold and silver pouring, leading to confirmation that all material will be processed through the Merrill Crowe system during the final construction phase. The results, supervised by Edmond St-Jean, P.Eng., and analyzed by ALS Global in Val-d'Or, de-risk equipment procurement and support ongoing mill construction, which is ahead of schedule. This validation represents a significant milestone in the project's development, providing clarity on the processing methodology that will be employed once the facility becomes operational. The full press release detailing these findings is available at https://ibn.fm/bHKim.
ESGold also noted continued infrastructure expansion, including the gold room and laboratory, and completion of advanced 3D geological modeling to guide an expanded exploration program. These developments complement the processing validation and demonstrate the comprehensive approach being taken to advance the Montauban project toward production. The company's progress in both processing optimization and infrastructure development positions it well for continued advancement in the Quebec mining sector. The confirmation of the Merrill Crowe circuit as the optimal processing method provides important technical validation for ESGold's operational strategy. This system, which uses zinc precipitation to recover gold and silver from cyanide solutions, represents a well-established technology in the mining industry. The decision to process all material through this system, rather than pursuing direct pouring from gravity concentrates, reflects the company's commitment to implementing proven, efficient recovery methods.
Additional company news and updates relating to ESAUF are available in the company's newsroom at https://ibn.fm/ESAUF. The Montauban property, located 80 kilometers west of Quebec City, continues to demonstrate its potential as a significant gold-silver project in a well-established mining jurisdiction. The combination of processing validation, infrastructure development, and advanced geological modeling provides a solid foundation for the project's continued advancement toward production. This announcement matters because it removes technical uncertainty from ESGold's development timeline, allowing the company to proceed confidently with equipment procurement and construction activities. The validation of the Merrill Crowe system specifically addresses a critical operational question that could have delayed project development or increased costs if alternative processing methods had proven necessary.
The implications extend beyond immediate project development to ESGold's positioning within the Quebec mining sector, where efficient, proven processing methods are essential for competitive operation. By confirming this technical pathway ahead of schedule, the company demonstrates operational discipline that could attract further investment and partnership opportunities. The infrastructure expansion and geological modeling work further indicate a holistic approach to project development that addresses both immediate processing needs and longer-term exploration potential. For stakeholders, this announcement provides concrete evidence of progress toward production while reducing technical risk factors that often plague mining projects during development phases. The location in a well-established mining jurisdiction adds regulatory and operational stability to the technical validation, creating multiple layers of de-risking for the project's advancement.
