JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Aim-listed gold miner Vast Resources’ Pickstone-Peerless gold mine, in Zimbabwe, has moved into the commissioning phase.
The company on Thursday said production at the mine would start in August, with estimated output of 10 000 oz/y of gold from the targeted initial mining rate of 10 000 t/m of ore from an opencast oxide gold cap.
The first two blasts, one at the Pickstone openpit and one at the Peerless openpit had been completed, with run-of-mine ore being stockpiled at the feedpad to the crusher, ready for the wet commissioning of the crusher circuit.
Further, Vast reported that the circuit, comprising a primary crusher, two secondary crushers and a cone crusher, had been completed. This would allow for additional construction personnel to be allocated to the milling circuit and the carbon-in-leach/carbon-in-pulp tanks.
Electrowinning and the gold production facility, as well as the ancillary facilities, such as the laboratory, accommodation and mine offices had also been completed.
"With the start of blasting, the processing plant construction well advanced and production on track, this is a very exciting period of development.
“In addition to realising commercial production in Zimbabwe, we continue to advance our polymetallic interests in Romania and we look forward to updating shareholders on our activity in both Zimbabwe and Romania in due course,” Vast CEO Roy Pitchford said.
Vast Resources holds an 80% interest in the Baita Bihor polymetallic underground mine, in Romania.