PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Ore commissioning of the Deflector carbon-in-pulp (CIP) plant has started on schedule and within the A$36-million budget, gold miner Silver Lake Resources said on Wednesday.
The addition of the CIP circuit would complement the existing gravity and flotation circuits, and will deliver a 4% to 5% uplift in gold recovery, the ASX-listed company told shareholders.
The plant upgrade provides Silver Lake with a viable flowsheet to treat a broader range of gold mineralisation at Deflector, creating additional exploration opportunities targeting several historical mines, known gold occurances and prospects on the company’s wholly owned tenement package within a 5 km radius of the Deflector plant.
Meanwhile, ore haulage from the Rothsay mine to the Deflector plant has also started.
Ore development at Rothsay is underway across four levels, with stoping having started in May. Silver Lake noted that ramp-up of the mine would continue during the first half of 2022, with mining and development of the southern decline and development to establish access to the northern decline, and associated production areas.
At steady state, Rothsay is expected to produce between 250 000 t/y and 300 000 t/y for between 45 000 oz and 50 000 oz, with some 15 000 t/m of high-grade run-of-mine ore to be preferentially hauled to the Deflector plant.