JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Caledonia Mining Corporation’s 49%-owned Blanket mine, in Zimbabwe, produced a record 14 389 oz of gold in the quarter ended September 30.
Production for the third quarter was 15% higher than in the second quarter and 7% higher than in the third quarter of 2016.
“We are very pleased to have achieved yet another production record at Blanket, which surpasses the previous production record of 13 591 oz set in the fourth quarter of 2016,” commented CEO Steve Curtis.
He added that the first half of this year had presented Caledonia with significant operating challenges, which adversely affected production.
In May, the company announced that its technical team was implementing various remedial measures aimed at alleviating the operating challenges and improving the reliability of the mine’s underground infrastructure.
“I am pleased to confirm that these measures implemented in the last three months have had the desired effect and have resulted in an improvement in both tonnage and grade at Blanket with associated higher production for the quarter,” said Curtis.
Caledonia expects the improvement in production in the third quarter to continue into the fourth quarter. The company has, therefore, “tightened” its production guidance for the full year to between 54 000 oz and 56 000 oz.
The company also remains on track to achieve its 80 000 oz production target in 2021.