Modern Mining February 2019

MINING News

Elikhulu boosts Pan African’s production

with a 900 m strike and 150 m down dip extension. The total mineral resource is now 0,76 Moz (8,97 Mt at 2,62 g/t) compris- ing the near surface resource of 0,37 Moz (5,85 Mt at 1,96 g/t) and the underground mineral resource of 0,39 Moz (3,12 Mt at 3,87 g/t). “We have a demonstrable record of replenishing our mineral resources through effective exploration and look to organic growth projects, such as Royal Sheba, to further enhance the sustain- ability of the group´s operations and to continue to deliver attractive returns to all our stakeholders.” 

In an operational update for the six months ended 31 December 2018, Pan African Resources, listed on AIM and the JSE, reports that its new Elikhulu Tailings Retreatment Plant contributed 15 292 oz of incremental low-cost ounces during the reporting period. Pan African’s total gold production for the period was 81 014 oz, a 54,2 % increase over the equivalent period in 2017, with Barberton Mines contributing 50 556 oz, a 24,5 % increase on the prior year’s figure. Elikhulu, located at Evander in Mpumalanga, was successfully commis- sioned ahead of schedule and within budget, and reached nameplate through- put capacity in October 2018. The incorporation of the existing Evander Tailings Retreatment Plant (ETRP) throughput capacity of 0,2 Mt per month into Elikhulu was completed in December 2018, which increased Elikhulu´s process- ing capacity to 1,2 Mt per month. Elikhulu processed 3,53 Mt in the four months fromSeptember 2018 toDecember 2018 at a recovered grade of 0,135 g/t. Optimisation of the enlarged Elikhulu is continuing, with the full 1,2 Mt of through- put expected from February 2019. Pan African CEO Cobus Loots com- mented: “The operational and safety performance during the current report- ing period demonstrates the progress in repositioning our group as a low-cost, long-life producer, with the safety of our employees and contractors always being of paramount importance. “We are very pleased with the com- missioning of Elikhulu during the period under review, notwithstanding the chal- lenges associated with delivering a project of this magnitude and complexity on time and within budget. We now look forward

to Elikhulu´s growing contribution to the group´s results in forthcoming reporting periods. “In the period ahead, management will continue to focus on further improv- ing our mining operations. The group remains on track to produce 170 000 oz for the full financial year to 30 June 2019,” he continued. “As previously communicated, the drill- ing programme on Barberton Mines´ Royal Sheba prospect was completed, indicating a near surface mineral resource of 0,37 Moz

The Elikhulu Tailings Retreatment Plant at Evander (photo: Arthur Tassell).

Updated resource estimate for Malian project Canada’s IAMGOLD Corporation has announced an updated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) on its 100 %-owned Diakha- Siribaya gold project, located inwesternMali. The MRE comprises 18 Mt of indicated resources averaging 1,28 g/t gold for 744 000 ounces and a further 23,2 Mt of inferred resources averaging 1,58 g/t gold for 1,2 million ounces.

sion of inferred resources to an indicated category,” says Craig MacDougall, Senior Vice President, Exploration for IAMGOLD. “Our exploration success at Diakha, cou- pled with the recently announced results of our feasibility study across the border at our nearby Boto gold project in Senegal, contin- ues to demonstrate the exploration upside of our very prospective land holdings in this region of West Africa. My congratulations are extended to the exploration teams on the ground for their outstanding discovery successes.” 

“Our delineation drilling programme completed over the last two years has not only resulted in a significant increase in resource ounces, but a substantial conver-

February 2019  MODERN MINING  5