JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Dual-listed Centamin has lifted gold production from its Sukari mine, in Egypt, to a record 128 115 oz for the quarter ended December 31, 2014 – a 40% increase on the corresponding quarter in 2013 and 37% higher than that produced in the third quarter of 2014.

This brought full year production to 377 261 oz, a 6% increase on 2013 and within the company’s revised guidance of between 370 000 oz and 380 000 oz. 

Record quarterly throughput at the process plant was 2.59-million tons, a 9% increase on the third quarter of the year and above nameplate capacity of ten-million tons a year, with potential to increase further during subsequent quarters as the new plant expansion was fully optimised.

Openpit total material movement increased 21% on the previous quarter to 13.8-million tons following government’s approval during the quarter for the required increase in ammonium nitrate (AN) use. 

Openpit ore production rose by 53% on the third quarter to 4.12-million tons and average grades mined increased over the third quarter. 

The run-of-mine ore stockpile balance increased by 1.02-million tons to 2.17-million tons at the end of the period, while the underground operation delivered a record 284 000 t of ore – up 15% on the third quarter of the year.

Forecast production from the Sukari mine for 2015 was 420 000 oz at a cash operating cost of $700/oz, representing an 11% increase on 2014 production.

If achieved, this would become the sixth successive year of output growth at Sukari.

Centamin said in a statement on Thursday that openpit production for 2015 would be focused on stripping the northern and eastern walls of the pit, with higher grades scheduled to be mined in the second half of the year.

Chairperson Josef El-Raghy noted that there was scope for further increases in plant throughput during the coming quarters as the plant was fully optimised and openpit mining rates increased with the additional AN.

“Despite the weak gold price environment, we again exit the year with a robust financial and operating base on which to continue delivering our growth strategy,” he commented.