The Sunday Mail
Caledonia Mining has reached important milestones as part of efforts to increase production to 2 270kg annually by 2021 at its 49 percent-owned Blanket mine.
The dual-listed gold miner last week said it had completed the development of a tramming loop 750 meters below surface, as well as the sinking of the number six shafts.
Caledonia Mining chief executive officer Mr Steve Curtis said the tramming loop was expected to contribute to increasing production at the mine to about 1 000kg of gold by the end of this year.
“Preparations for equipping the number six shaft had also begun, with the shaft to be fully equipped by the end of July, after which horizontal development towards the two main resource bodies would start,” he said.
“First production from the shaft was scheduled for January 2016. Further, surface earthworks had been completed at the Central shaft, which had been sunk to eight meters.”
Mr Curtis said the activities formed part of Caledonia’s revised development plan for the Blanket Mine, which would see the company investing $50 million from this year to 2017 and a further $20 million from 2018 to 2020.
“We are pleased with the ongoing implementation of the revised plan, which is proceeding as scheduled and within budget. The completion of the tramming loop and sinking of the number six winze are significant steps towards incrementally increasing production from 2016 onwards to achieve an annual rate of 80 000 oz of gold by 2021,” commented chief executive officer Mr EO Steve Curtis. — Mining Weekly.
