JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Dual-listed gold miner Caledonia Mining expects to fast-track development and increase production at its Blanket mine, in Zimbabwe, towards the end of the year, owing to having completed a tramming loop ahead of schedule in June.
The company on Monday said it had also completed the sinking of the No 6 Winze, with the shaft currently being equipped as part of the mine’s revised investment plan. This would be followed by horizontal development towards the mine’s two main resource bodies.
The 6 m diameter Central shaft, running from surface to 1 080 m, would provide access to the current inferred mineral resources below 750 m and allow for further exploration, development and mining in these sections along the known Blanket strike, which was about 3 km in length.
Most of the equipment required for the sinking phase was acquired and either on site or in transit to site.
Five generator units with a combined generating capacity of 2 MVA had also been acquired to provide back-up power supply to the kibble winder in the full sink phase, which is expected to start in January.
The project remained on target for first production in January 2016, with production expected to reach the target rate of 500 t/d in May 2017.
"We are pleased with the ongoing implementation of the revised plan, which is proceeding as scheduled.
"These were significant steps towards progressively increasing production from 2016 onwards to achieve a rate of 80 000 oz/y of gold by 2021. I expect that the shaft’s presink will be completed by the end of the year,” Caledonia CEO Steve Curtis said.