JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Africa-focused GMA Resources expected to improve the output at its Amesmessa gold mine, in Algeria, during the second quarter of this year, after the mine’s first quarter production fell.

The mine’s quarter-on-quarter gold output fell by 2,43% to 5 731 oz in the three months ended March 31, 2010, compared with the 5 874 oz produced in the previous three months.

Its silver output also fell to 1 197 oz, compared with the 1 198 oz produced in the previous three quarters.

The gold miner noted in a statement to shareholders that it was undertaking a “comprehensive review” of the operations at the mine with a view to introducing productivity improvements.

“Preliminary steps have been taken to establish more reliable and cost-effective production at Amesmessa,” commented GMA CEO Ken Crichton.

The company was moving an unused carbon-in-leach (CIL) plant from its Tirek mine to Amesmessa, which was expected to be commissioned by the end of this month.

The CIL plant would contribute an additional 1 200 oz/m of gold to the total output as from May.

GMA had also acquired additional, more efficient road trucks to transport ore to the plant in a more economic fashion than the previous slower haul trucks.

Further, the company was also now systematically selecting higher-grade, low-strip ratio ore locations across the concession, as opposed to its previous reliance on high-strip ratio ore.

A significant head count reduction among expatriates had also been undertaken.

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