JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Aim- and TSX-V-listed Galantas Gold will speed up underground development at its Omagh gold mine, in Northern Ireland, CEO Roland Phelps said on Wednesday, as the company provided an update on the project’s progress.
The update states that underground development is proceeding well, with the development tunnel having been advanced by about 47 m from the underground portal.
The company also noted that arrangements regarding blasting appeared to be working efficiently and said actions were in hand to increase the blasting frequency.
Galantas had to place underground development of Omagh on hold in April, after police could not provide the required anti-terrorism cover for blasting at the project. Development work resumed in May, after the company reached an agreement with police to offer cover of two hours a day, three days a week.
Galantas said it would now move on to the installation of the permanent ground support tunnel lining at the project, in County Tyrone. Once installed, the expected enhanced blasting arrangements should speed up the tunnel development.
To increase the rate of progress at Omagh, Phelps said Galantas would hire additional personnel. This would take the number of people employed at the operation to 27.
The underground mine, when fully developed, is expected to create 130 jobs plus others in service industries associated with the development.
Galantas also reported that it had intercepted a narrow stringer vein – an offshoot of the Kearney system. Grade samples have been taken and the company expects the vein to provide a limited quantity of mineralised material for processing while the remainder of the development required to access the main Kearney veins is progressed.
The Omagh mine has an operational processing plant and tailings facility, which is on stand-by awaiting mineralised material from underground development.
Mining at the Omagh mine had been conducted by openpit methods up to the suspension of production in 2013.
Galantas is backfilling the Kearney openpit with surface stockpiles of rock to create an apron area for the upper part of a ramp. The ramp accesses the lower portal in the base of the openpit and will eventually be contained within a concrete tunnel, permitting completion of backfilling of the openpit.