BacTech Environmental Corporation announced it has completed the collection of gold concentrate samples produced by six different gold processing facilities in Ponce Enriquez and Portovelo, Ecuador. The six collected 10 kg samples will be assayed at a local laboratory and a representative composite sample will then be made and shipped to Perth, Australia. Once in Perth, the sample material will be sent to ALS Labs where a Bioleach Test Program will be undertaken under the supervision of BacTech V.P., Technology and Engineering, Dr. Paul Miller. The Bioleach Test Program results and report are expected to be completed within six months. Based on prior BacTech sampling experience, the Company anticipates a positive outcome to the proposed Bioleach Test Program, at which time a third-party engineering group will be engaged to undertake a Prefeasibility Study that would provide anticipated economics for the project. The areas where the gold concentrate samples were collected are known for their high levels of arsenic. It is this high level of arsenic in the concentrates that leads to dramatically reduced prices being paid to local producers. The majority of the discounted high arsenic material is bought by Asian smelters and roasters and shipped offshore. The grades of all concentrates provided by the producers exceed 35 gpt of gold (1.13 opt) except for one and are as high as 60 gpt (1.93 opt). As well, the average grade of arsenic in the samples exceeds 13%. Given the high level of arsenic in the concentrates, the producer is forced to accept heavy penalties from the buyers. BacTech has publicly discussed that the expected daily capacity of the proposed Ponce Enriquez bioleaching plant would be 40 tpd. The company identified a cumulative feed of 1,125 tonnes per month or 37.5 tpd of concentrate. Given the positive response the company received from the producers, BacTech will consider increasing the initial capacity of the plant to 50 tpd or more. The Company believes that the completion of the plant in Ponce Enriquez will attract additional feed from other mines in Ecuador as well as Peru and Colombia. Bioleaching is modular in nature and can be expanded without interrupting an existing operation.