PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Gold developer Calidus Resources has started continuous ore processing at its Warrawoona gold project, in Western Australia.
The company said on Tuesday that the processing of low-grade ore was underway and it would transition to run-of-mine ore over the coming week as operations moved to steady state.
With the start of processing, gold in circuit has started to build, with the first gold pour expected within two weeks. Production is scheduled to ramp up to 90 000 oz/y in Stage 1.
“The start of continuous processing operations less than five years since our debut on the ASX is a major achievement in the life of Calidus and is the result of an outstanding performance by all our team and contractors. Despite the challenges faced in our industry during the Covid-19 pandemic, we are pleased to have delivered Warrawoona on time and on budget,” said Calidus MD Dave Reeves.
“As Warrawoona completes successful commissioning and transitions into steady-state operations, Calidus is well positioned for future growth and delivering strong shareholder returns.
“We look forward to becoming Western Australia’s next gold producer,” said Reeves.
Warrawoona is expected to produce up to 105 000 oz of gold a year, but could potentially produce up to 139 000 oz/y when the nearby Blue Spec deposit is developed.