Remediation work on the western wall of the Komana East pit at Aim-listed Hummingbird Resources’ Yanfolila mine, in Mali, is expected to be completed in January.
Hummingbird in October reported that stability issues had been identified at the pit. Mining at the western side of the pit was suspended after a crack was observed near the pit wall following a “significantly heavier than normal” wet season.
The Yanfolila bridge, located 40 km from the Yanfolila mine on the sole access road to the mine site, had also recently been damaged by a flood. Subsequently, a 10 t weight limit had been issued for the bridge, preventing Hummingbird from getting additional equipment to the mine.
Hummingbird on Wednesday said it had, in consultation with its mining contractor African Mining Services (AMS), reconfigured the mining plan while remediation work at the pit wall is under way.
A Malian military barge has also been mobilised to move additional fleet to the mining site to increase mining volumes.
“While the last month has been challenging for Hummingbird, I am pleased at the professionalism with which the team have worked to quantify the scale and nature of the issues and to execute a remediation plan, which is already well under way.
“We have worked closely with . . . AMS, who [is] committed to the remediation plan and the delivery of the 2019 production guidance following the lower-than-expected ore delivery to the run-of-mine pad due to the extended wet season,” commented CEO Dan Betts.
Hummingbird has lowered its production guidance for the full year to between 87 000 oz and 92 000 oz, from the initially targeted 105 000 oz to 115 000 oz.
Normalised production is, however, expected to resume in the first quarter of 2019, with production guidance for 2019 set at between 110 000 oz and 125 000 oz.