Aim-listed Hummingbird Resources says construction of its Kouroussa gold mine, in Guinea, continues to advance rapidly and remains on track to achieve the first gold pour by the end of the second quarter in 2023.

The company elaborates that civil works on the mine have begun, and earthworks are nearing completion at the processing plant.

This while foundation concrete and steel reinforcement work is taking place for the carbon-in-leach tanks’ installation, as well as fabrication of the tanks on site.

Following the foundation works, structural, mechanical and piping works will follow in the process plant area.

Hummingbird advises that a mine camp for construction personnel is now operational, to allow for more personnel on site.

The company has bought long-lead items, such as apron feeders, a jaw crusher, cyclone cluster, semi-autogenous grinding mill and agitators.

Contracts for the power plant and mining contractors are in the final stages of negotiation and are expected to be awarded soon.

Meanwhile, Hummingbird has received assay results on a further 86 reverse circulation and 12 diamond drilling holes on the Koekoe deposit. The company in 2021 undertook a 24 000 m infill drilling programme, which was aimed at converting current in-pit inferred material to indicated status and extend the Kouroussa mine life.

The company awaits assays for another 3 600 m of drilling.

Notable results from the Koekoe deposit include 3 m grading 18.63 g/t gold from 27 m, and 3 m grading 34.84 g/t gold from 51 m.

Hummingbird says these and prior result sets continue to show the significant gold endowment at Kouroussa, with multiple high-grade zones that remain open.

These assays, alongside results from the Yanfolila drilling programme, will feed into the updated company resources and reserves statement, which is expected to be released in the second quarter this year.