JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Aim- and TSX-listed Caledonia Mining’s 49%-owned Blanket mine, in Zimbabwe, produced 13 430 oz of gold in the third quarter, representing an increase of 23% year-on-year and 7.4% quarter-on-quarter.
"Production in the third quarter was in line with expectations and shows that Caledonia and the Blanket mine remain on track to deliver our target performance for 2016,” said CEO Steve Curtis.
Caledonia expects to produce 50 000 oz of gold this year and for production to expand to 80 000 oz by 2021.
Curtis noted that the higher production at Blanket in the third quarter was the result of higher-grade materials mined below 750 m, accessed through the No. 6 Winze, or connection, and an additional decline development.
“This is further testament to the investments Caledonia has made to increase production flexibility and capacity over the past 18 months, which are now beginning to bear fruit as production from below 750 m continues to increase,” he highlighted.
Meanwhile, Caledonia also announced that a new ball mill had been installed.
The new mill will increase daily throughput at the Blanket plant by 20%, from 1 500 t to 1 800 t and will contribute to reaching the 80 000 oz production goal.
"We are also pleased that the new mill, which was manufactured locally in Zimbabwe has been installed and the commissioning process is progressing as expected," Curtis concluded.