Tectonic Metals Initiates Heap Leach Metallurgical Testing on Flat Gold Project

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 16, 2024 / Tectonic Metals Inc. (the "Company" or "Tectonic") (TECT:TSX-V)(TETOF:OTCQB)(T15B:FSE) today announced the launch of a multi-phase metallurgical column test program to confirm low-cost heap leaching as a viable gold processing and extraction method at the Chicken Mountain bulk-tonnage intrusion target, one of six district-scale intrusion targets within the 99,840 acre, Flat Gold Project ("Flat") in southwestern Alaska. This initiative is part of the Company's ongoing 2024 value creation strategy as metallurgical testing is one of the most critical steps a company can take in successfully transforming an exploration-stage project into a profitable mining opportunity.

Tony Reda commented, "Heap leaching is a processing and extraction technology becoming increasingly popular and coveted over recent years due to the potential cost advantages and lower environmental impact it can offer to miners especially as the world-wide average grade of gold deposits has decreased over the past few decades. Tectonic is excited about the prospects of heap leaching at our Flat Gold Project especially since our initial metallurgical test work completed in 2023 demonstrated exceptional plus 95% gold recoveries with gold mineralization appearing to be not grind sensitive, extremely low in sulphur, non-preg-robbing and favourable to not just one but several gold extraction methods. Our heap leach column test work program is rigorous and will not only assess overall leach kinetics, but also provide insight into how various size fractions of drill core respond to leaching as an indication of optimal crush sizing. For context, crushing and grinding typically are the biggest consumers of energy at an operating mine, and therefore, the most expensive operational cost significantly impacting a mine's all-in sustaining costs. With this in mind, we are setting the bar high by initiating our first ever column tests utilizing coarse, ¾ inch crushed rock material. The 2024 column results will provide a baseline on determining the optimum crush and recovery characteristics for heap leaching at Flat."

More on the Flat Metallurgical Program

Phase one of the 2024 program was initiated utilizing samples selected by Tectonic from historically drilled diamond core with the objective of investigating the potential for low-cost heap leaching. Subsequent phases of the column leach test work program will utilize samples from Tectonic's 2023 diamond drill core currently stored onsite.