JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – ASX-listed Mantle Mining, which is currently focused on the return to production of the Morning Star gold mine east of Melbourne, Victoria, reports that it has made significant progress on trial mining in the mine’s Stacpoole zone.

To date, the company has recommissioned the mine’s winder, completed shaft repairs and approval for operations, received approval for its explosive magazine licence and recruited and mobilised the mining workforce to site.

The company highlights that the trial mining is proceeding to plan, with works having started on 2 level, providing fastest and lowest cost access to Stacpoole zone.

Development at the Stacpoole ore zone will now start after the prestrip is completed in January.

“We are truly building momentum and making clear progress toward reopening the Morning Star gold mine. There has been a considerable amount of work achieved on the ground in the last six to eight weeks, as we move closer to developing trial mining and processing of material mined from the newly defined Stacpoole zone,” Mantle CEO Tom de Vries said on Wednesday.

He added that the company intended to permit a conventional decline, which it believed would increase its access to higher grade gold ore.

A bulk sample will allow Mantle to compare any gold in ore upgrade to that seen in comparison to the diamond drilling achieved in the Stacpoole zone. The bulk sample will also provide feed to recommission and make the on-site processing plant more efficient.

The company’s development plan to the Stacpoole zone is consistent with its staged approach toward achieving production, with prudent capital management and risk mitigation.

In addition, the Stacpoole zone lies above the end of the existing 2 level development and will be accessed by a conventional handheld rise. Once the zone is accessed, sampled and inspected, further development and subsequent trial mining can be undertaken.