JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Construction of the Yanfolila gold mine is imminent as Aim-quoted Hummingbird Resources starts grade control and infill drilling at the 1.8-million-ounce Mali-based project.
The development and exploration company on Monday said that, following “exceptional” drilling results in October 2014, another step had been taken towards its target of starting the mine’s construction in the first half of this year and achieving first production by the first half of 2016.
“With three drill rigs now operational and mine construction due to start imminently, we are highly active on the ground at Yanfolila,” said Hummingbird CEO Dan Betts.
The infill drilling programme could bring further inferred resources into the measured and indicated categories, while allowing greater optionality of the mine scheduling and opportunities for improvement to the Yanfolila mine schedule.
“Grade control drilling is an exciting step for us as we move closer to mining,” Betts added, noting that a phased grade control programme had started at the Komana East and Komana West deposits in preparation for main grade control drilling ahead of preproduction mining.
Hummingbird’s previous drill programme achieved high grades of up to 41.5 g/t of gold over 3 m, adding 159 000 oz of gold in the oxide and transitional zones and increased oxide and transitional indicated resources by 153% to 600 000 oz of gold.