Canada’s natural resource management and engineering consulting company Vast Resources has commissioned the ball mill and the carbon in leach plant at its Pickstone-Peerless gold mine in Zimbabwe.
The company said it will start gold production later this month.
Vast Resources chief executive Roy Pitchford said: "The commencement of gold production at Pickstone-Peerless Gold Mine in Zimbabwe, following the commencement of production at the Manaila Polymetallic Mine in Romania, will be a further step in the process of transitioning Vast into an operating mining entity.
"With first gold sales targeted for the end of the month, we will have revenue from two operating mines.
Expected to aid the start of gold adsorption, the commissioning of the plant will change the company into a cash generative mining company.
From an initial mining rate of 10 000t of ore a month, the mine is being commissioned with a target of an initial annualised gold production of 10,000oz at present.
Vast Resources aims to achieve its first production of gold by the end of August 2015.
"Whilst the focus will remain in ensuring optimal production levels are achieved at the Pickstone-Peerless Gold Mine and Manaila Polymetallic Mine, more focus is now being placed in bringing the third mine in our portfolio, the Baita Plai (formerly Baita Bihor) Polymetallic Mine, into production," Pitchford added.
Image: The plant commissioning will facilitate the start of gold adsorption. Photo: courtesy of Suat Eman/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
