South African mining contractor IW Mining has arrived on site at Scandinavia-based gold exploration company Akobo Minerals' Segele project, in Ethiopia.
The South African team, with many years of underground mining experience, has also started recruiting an Ethiopian team and surface preparation is expected to start within days.
Underground mine access development is scheduled to start in December.
“With the arrival of this highly experienced team, the moment of first ore extraction is getting closer. Mining of ore will be highly significant for us, our host communities and for the Ethiopian mining industry.
"We are very pleased with the partnership which we have developed with the IW Mining team, which has overcome the inevitable hurdles which all mining companies face.
"We are ahead of schedule with fabrication of the processing plant, which will be assembled at site in the beginning of 2023, with gold production thereafter,” Akobo CEO Jørgen Evjen comments.