ELIKHULU PROCESS PLANT Construction on the Elikhulu tailings retreatment project is progressing ahead of schedule with first gold expected in August
JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The average head grade of Pan African Resources’ Barberton Mines complex, which includes the Fairview, Sheba and Consort mines, has increased by 32%.
The head grade improved from an average of 8.7 g/t during July to December 2017 to 11.5 g/t last month, predominantly as a result of mining high-grade ore at the 272 platform since January.
The latest on-reef development samples taken in the 272 platform recorded an average grade of 99.2 g/t (ranging from 2.2 g/t to 1 320 g/t) over a mineralised width of 3.36 m along a strike length of 24 m.
This confirms that the high-grade areas of this mining block are now in production, Pan African said on Friday.
Further, face sampling of the on-reef development, taken of the mineralised 11 block MRC orebody at the 358 platform, resulted in an average grade of 45.7 g/t over a mineralised width of 2 m, confirming that the on-reef development has reached the high-grade section of this mining block.
Meanwhile, construction on the Elikhulu tailings retreatment project is progressing ahead of schedule with first gold expected in August. Ramp-up to full production of about 55 000 oz/y is expected to take no longer than two months, after which Elikhulu is estimated to produce gold at an all-in sustaining cost of production of below $650/oz, at the prevailing rand/dollar exchange rate.
Together with the Evander Tailings Retreatment Plant, Elikhulu is expected to produce more than 70 000 oz/y of gold.
Additionally, the construction of the Barberton Tailings Retreatment Plant’s (BTRP’s) regrind mill is proceeding according to schedule with commissioning anticipated in the last week of April. On commissioning of the regrind mill, production at the BTRP is expected to increase to about 21 000 oz/y.