Saturn Metals Limited has reported encouraging results from its recent metallurgical tests at the Apollo Hill Gold Project in Western Australia. The company completed six column leach tests on near-surface oxide and transitional materials derived from its upgraded mineral resource. The tests, which utilized 8mm HPGR crushed samples, achieved an average gold recovery of 86% over 95 days, significantly exceeding the 75% recovery rate assumed in previous studies. Notably, 86% of the total recovery was achieved within roughly 30 days, underscoring the rapid leach kinetics and potential for accelerated early-stage production. Technical highlights include the consistently strong recoveries over a grade range of 0.18g/t to 0.84g/t and the very low resource inputs required for processing. The tests recorded minimal reagent consumption—only 0.5kg/t of cyanide—and low cement additions, with agglomeration requiring between 4kg/t and 6kg/t. These results not only compare favorably with the global heap leach average of around 65% recovery, but they also suggest that the Apollo Hill deposit could benefit from lower cut-off grades, enhanced resource utilization, and improved overall project economics through cost-effective bulk tonnage mining practices. The positive metallurgical performance is particularly significant given that, although the oxide and transitional materials account for a smaller proportion of the overall resource, they represent 39% of the ore mined during the initial three years under previous mining schedules. This early-stage advantage could foster favorable economics during project ramp-up and contribute to achieving lower waste-to-ore stripping ratios and economies of scale. Overall, the data solidifies Saturn Metals Limited’s view that the Apollo Hill Project has the potential to join the ranks of large-scale, low-cost heap leach operations powering almost half of global gold production. From a market sentiment perspective, the news is bullish on several fronts. The enhanced gold recovery figures and rapid leach kinetics indicate strong potential for improved cash flow and lower operating costs, which are attractive fundamentals for early-stage production models. However, cautious observers might note that the success of these initial tests needs to be replicated in larger-scale operations, and the project’s overall viability will still depend on a number of future studies and production scale-up challenges. Nonetheless, the robust test outcomes provide a solid technical foundation, adding a layer of optimism to Saturn Metals Limited’s development strategy.