Canada Cobalt Works has poured its initial three silver bars at the Castle silver-cobalt mine 75 km south of Kirkland Lake, near the town of Gowanda, in Ontario. The pour was part of a proof of concept test ahead of ramping up the mining rate.
Canada Cobalt says it plans to pour a 1,000-oz. silver bar later this month.
The pilot plant at the Castle mine separated leaf silver and created a silver gravity concentrate. Smelting took place at PolyMet Labs in the town of Cobalt, Ont. The three bars totaled 300 oz. Canada Cobalt has signed a binding letter of intent to acquire PolyMet Resources because its plant combines, bullion smelting, bulk sampling, commercial assaying, and e-waste processing.
Canada Cobalt used its environmental friendly Re-2OX process on the same waste material to recover cobalt and produce a cobalt sulphate at SGS Lakefield.
(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)