JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Turkey-focused miner Ariana Resources is considering increasing the mill throughput at its Kiziltepe silver and gold mine, targeting output in excess of 180 000 t/y.
The company on Tuesday said that after mill availability having increased to over 95% during May, the process recoveries of gold and silver were currently trending considerably higher than feasibility study expectations and leach times were faster than predicted.
Ore grade input to the mill has been increased during ramp-up and averaged 2.5 g/t gold and 24 g/t silver in May, with further increases expected during the second half of the year.
Grade-control sampling has further identified additional ore zones at the north-west end of the Arzu South deposit that sits outside of the resource block model and will now be scheduled for production.
The miner noted that doré pours were now occurring weekly with 1 000 oz of gold and 7 000 oz of silver having been sold by the refinery to date; gold and silver sales during the period to end-May realised prices ranging from $1 225/oz to $1 275/oz and $16.2/oz to $18.2/oz, respectively.
Further, it stated that construction of the second stage of the tailings dam would start shortly and was supported by implementation of a night shift to increase production from the openpit to 20 000 m3 a week.
The Kiziltepe operation is currently expected to deliver about 20 000 oz/y gold over eight years of initial mine life, for a total of up to 160 000 oz of gold equivalent based on current resources.
Ramp-up to full production capacity at Kiziltepe is expected to be concluded this month.