PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Gold miner Millennium Minerals exceeded production expectations during the December quarter, allowing the company to reach its full-year production target.

During the quarter ended December, Millennium produced 19 699 oz of gold, above the 18 000 oz projected, delivering a yearly gold production of 75 867 oz.

Millennium noted that continuous ore haulage was achieved from the higher-grade ABC and D Reef deposits at the Golden Gate operation, in Western Australia, allowing for 127 102 t of material to be treated during the quarter.

Throughput rates at the processing plant also averaged 190 t/h, against a nameplate capacity of 189 t/h, despite a two-day shutdown to replace the mill gear box.

However, Millennium noted that as mining operations have now advanced into the fresh ore zones within the Golden Eagle deposit, the company has experienced several problems from parts of the fresh zones, including reconciliation issues, lower grades and variable metallurgical recovery.

Actual results from mining have been more erratic than anticipated in the feasibility work, and in some areas, even lower-than-anticipated grades and recoveries have been achieved.

Millennium noted that it was currently assessing its flowsheet options for the future treatment of the Golden Eagle material.

As a result, the company was bringing forward its life-of-mine plan with a view to advancing the development of its eastern satellite deposits, including the Bartons, All Nations, Shearers, Otways, Little Wonder and the CCJV deposits.

The satellite deposits were expected to provide predominantly oxide feed to the mill for the next two years, and would allow Millennium to maintain its yearly production rate of between 75 000 oz and 80 000 oz of gold, and would allow the company time to determine the best processing route to treat the Golden Eagle material.

Meanwhile, production during the March quarter was forecast to reach between 16 000 oz and 18 000 oz of gold.