Kingsgate secures refinery for Chatree ore

24th May 2022 By: Esmarie Iannucci - Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor: Australasia

PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The restart of the Chatree gold mine, in Thailand, has progressed further, with owner Kingsgate Consolidated announcing the appointment of a refiner to process gold and silver ore produced from the mine.

Kingsgate on Tuesday announced that Precious Metal Refining Company (PMR) had been appointed to process the nearly 100 000 oz of gold and 1-million ounces of silver production expected from Chatree on an annual basis, once both plans have been fully refurbished and restarted.

PMR has the ability to process gold to a purity of 99.99%, and is among the first in Thailand to be in compliance with the strict laboratory standards being certified by the Gem and Jewellery Institute of Thailand. PMR is also an active member of the Thai Gem and Jewellery Traders Association, and the Gold Traders Association of Thailand.

“We are delighted to be partnering with a locally based state-of-the-art refiner, which not only gives us a stronger local footprint and creates more jobs in Thailand, but gives us a real opportunity to create “Thai gold for the Thai people,” Kingsgate executive chairperson Ross Smyth-Kirk said.

Kingsgate recently secured a $15-million bridge facility to support the refurbishment and restart of the Chatree gold mine.

Kingsgate was forced to place its Chatree gold miner on care and maintenance at the start of 2017, after the Thai government in 2016 announced that all gold mining in the country would cease.