Centamin boasts solid start to the year with 14% y/y increase in Q1 output

9th April 2018 By: Simone Liedtke - Creamer Media Social Media Editor & Senior Writer

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Gold mining company Centamin boasted a solid start to this year, with a 14% year-on-year increase in gold production, to 124 296 oz, at its flagship Sukari mine, in Egypt.

Production for the quarter was, however, lower than planned owing to the transitional zone of the openpit delivering lower-than-expected grades.

Centamin CEO Andrew Pardey added that additional grade control drilling and rescheduling has resulted in accelerated access to the higher grade openpit Stage 4 primary ore throughout the second quarter. 

This, in turn, has led to the company maintaining its full-year production guidance of 580 000 oz.

“The processing plant has delivered a strong first quarter with throughput greater than three-million tonnes. Metallurgical recoveries have significantly improved to 89.6% following the continued focus on process controls and successful enhancements to the elution circuit,” Pardey added.

The fourth secondary crusher has been installed and commissioning is under way, further lifting throughput capacity in line with increased underground tonnage.

“Building on the strong plant performance this quarter we look forward with confidence to delivering on our production guidance throughout 2018,” he said in the statement.

Centamin will publish its financial and operational results for the quarter ended March 31 on May 3.