KALGOORLIE (miningweekly.com) – The Stage 1 prefeasibilty study (PFS) into the Gruyere gold project, in Western Australia, has selected a 7.5-million-tonne-a-year throughput rate as the most effective, giving the project a potential mine life of 10 to 15 years.
The Stage 1 PFS also identified a gas-fired power generation plant as the preferred power source, over diesel and trucked liquefied natural gas.
Project owner Gold Road Resources on Monday said the Gruyere project would have average gold production of 250 000 oz/y over its mine life, based on a mineral resource of 137.8-million tonnes, grading 1.24 g/t gold for 5.51-million ounces.
The project would comprise an openpit truck and shovel operation, with all mining operations being done by contractors. The process plant and infrastructure would be owner-operated and managed.
“The detailed work that our team has undertaken allows us to confidently determine the best option for Gruyere is a production rate of 7.5-million tonnes a year, using a semi-autogenous grinding and ball mill circuit, combined with gas delivered by pipeline as the preferred fuel source for power,” said Gold Road executive chairperson Ian Murray.
Having established the study parameters, Gold Road was now progressing the Gruyere PFS, which would include capital and operating cost estimates, plant layout design, metallurgical testwork, tailings storage facility option studies, as well as starting native title discussions.
The final PFS was due for completion in the March 2016 quarter.