LONDON – Kavango Resources has commissioned and brought into operation a 50-tonne-per-day gold processing plant at its Hillside Gold Project in Zimbabwe, marking a step towards larger-scale production.
The Zimbabwe Mail, reporting from a statement issued by the London-listed company on 2 November, said the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development authorised the plant and its tailings storage facility to operate on 30 October, following inspections and compliance reviews covering mining, safety and environmental requirements.
The pilot facility is processing ore through crushing, milling, gravity concentration and carbon-in-leach circuits. Kavango said the plant is designed to test its processing model, establish operating performance and generate technical data to guide the development of a larger commercial facility.
Gold production from the carbon-in-leach circuit increased from 397 grammes at the first elution in August to 539 grammes in September, according to the company.
The project’s Bill’s Luck underground deposit has a JORC-compliant mineral resource of 33,900 ounces at an average grade of 2.68 grammes per tonne. Kavango expects commercial plant recoveries of between 90% and 93%, although these remain operating expectations rather than demonstrated commercial-scale results.
Chief executive Jasper Musadaidzwa said commissioning was an important milestone, with the company now focused on improving operational efficiency and refining the technical design for a larger processing facility.
Infrastructure work is also continuing, including installation of a 13-metre headframe at the Bill’s Luck Main Vertical Shaft and upgrades to power, water and employee accommodation facilities.
