WIN Metals (ASX:WIN) has advanced its development plans after receiving promising gold extraction testwork results from samples sourced at the Radio gold mine, located in Western Australia's Yilgarn Gold Belt — one of Australia's most prolific gold-producing regions and home to major operations including Kalgoorlie's Super Pit.

Testing confirmed that ore from the mine is free milling, contains appreciable gravity gold content, and is amenable to conventional gold processing techniques — all indicators that high gold recoveries at plant scale are achievable. Free milling ores are particularly attractive for junior developers because they typically require simpler, lower-cost processing circuits compared to refractory ores that need additional pre-treatment steps.

Managing Director and CEO Steve Norregaard said the results provide further technical support for WIN's ongoing evaluation of development options for Radio.

"This last bit of confirmatory news concludes the relevant technical evaluation of the project and what good news it is with very high gravity gold recoveries achieved and excellent leach recoveries on gravity tails material indicating potential overall recoveries in excess of 95% in a plant operating scenario as being readily achievable," he said.

"WIN is now firmly positioned to progress Radio towards a development decision in the near future, with a clear objective of transforming the company into a cash-generating gold producer."

The metallurgical testwork program was carried out on two bulk bags of reverse circulation (RC) drill samples supplied to Fremantle Metallurgy for preparation of bulk composites. Each composite underwent 72-hour cyanidation tests at P80 grind sizes of both 75 and 300 microns (μm). The cyanidation conditions applied — pH 10.5 and 500 ppm initial NaCN — were broadly appropriate for indicating plant-scale behaviour.

At the 75 μm grind size, tests yielded 90.1% and 94.7% gold extraction for composites 1 and 2 respectively within 24 hours. Final gold extraction after 72 hours was materially higher at 97.6% and 99.4%, suggesting the presence of coarse free gold.

Norregaard noted this is further supported by cyanidation tests performed at the 300 μm grind, which also reached high gold extractions after 72 hours (95.9% and 97.4%), despite considerably lower extractions at the 24-hour mark (81.1% and 70.0%). These results indicate the free milling nature of the tested samples and a degree of insensitivity to grind size, pending effective preconcentration and treatment of coarse gold grains.

Additional testwork using larger samples was subsequently conducted to evaluate gravity gold content at various liberation sizes between 75 and 500 μm.

The Radio project currently holds a mineral resource of 345,000 tonnes at 3.7 grams per tonne (g/t), totalling 41,000 ounces of gold. While modest in size by industry standards, the high-grade nature of the resource combined with the demonstrated amenability to conventional processing positions Radio as a potential near-term production candidate, with further resource growth possible through ongoing exploration across WIN's broader Yilgarn tenement package.

Prior to market open, WIN shares were steady at 1.9¢ with a market capitalisation of $16.29 million.