Scandinavian company Akobo Minerals has reached a milestone with the start of operations at its ultra-small plant and, with it, production of the company’s first gold.
Akobo currently holds an exploration licence covering 182 km2, as well as an ongoing mine development in Ethiopia.
The ultra-small plant began operation last week, with already washed-out tailings from previous artisanal mining – and, of surprise to the company, actually extracted some gold, albeit with limited economic value.
The next stage is to feed the plant with crushed and milled material from the locally sourced crushing machine which is also in operation.
From this point, there will be a step change in the volume of recovered gold, even before the main processing plant is established on site.
The decision was taken to have an ultra-small plant delivered from Solo Resources as a stop-gap measure while the main plant was en route from South Africa, following delays primarily owing to electricity shortages in South Africa and cement shortages in Ethiopia.
In recent weeks, considerable levels of operational activity have been ramping up on site – from foundation work and construction to commissioning – to meet the demands of a company that is building towards full gold production shortly, Akobo reports.
Akobo will continue production with stockpiled material. It is expecting increased grade and volume when production starts from the Segele orebody.
“However you look at it, production of our first gold is an important landmark for the company and is a real boost for the employees following the incredible work they have already undertaken on our road to full production.
“We had hoped for production by now from the main processing plant, but this stop-gap measure of using a 2 t an hour ultra-small plant will allow us to use this proof-of-concept to iron out any issues now, while also securing some early gold production,” CEO Jørgen Evjen says.
“The final parts of the main plant are arriving in camp from Addis Ababa shortly, so first production is expected during the second quarter.
“In the meantime, we are using the time to complete all necessary building and operational elements of the plant and we will be well-placed for the main plant’s successful integration once on site,” he adds.