JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Gold output at dual-listed Centamin’s Sukari mine, in Egypt, increased 15% quarter-on-quarter and 10% year-on-year to 93 624 oz for the three months ended September 30.
Centamin stated that the mine’s expanded processing plant had achieved nameplate capacity of ten-million tons a year during the quarter, with the potential for throughput rates to increase further during subsequent quarters as the new plant was fully optimised.
Throughput at the processing plant during the third quarter amounted to 2.3-million tons, a 22% increase on the 1.96-million tons processed in the second quarter, reflecting the ramp-up of ore treatment through the new Stage 4 plant circuit.
The average underground and openpit grades also increased during the third quarter and were expected to improve further during the fourth quarter, driving higher gold production.
Centamin noted that openpit total material movement increased 16% quarter-on-quarter to 11.4-million tons during the three-month period, while ore production rose 50% on that of the second quarter to 2.7-million tons.
Further, the underground operation delivered a record of 248 000 t of ore, up 8% quarter-on-quarter and in line with planned mining rates.
“With scope for further increases in plant throughput during the coming quarters, and with average grades set to further increase in the fourth quarter, we maintain our full-year production guidance and continue to look forward to delivering Sukari's long-term target of 450 000 oz/y to 500 000 oz/y from 2015 onwards,” Centamin chairperson Josef El-Raghy said.