CRATER Gold Mining Limited says stoping has started in the central high grade gold block at the high grade zone project at Crater Mountain in Eastern Highlands.
The company expects that the mining rate and recovered gold grade would increase with stoping now underway.
According to Crater, development in the past year had delineated the high grade zone from the 1960-meter level original adit up to the surface at the 1990-metre level.
The mining focus has now switched from development and exploration to stoping of high grade gold block from the 1960-metre level up.
Recent gold production had been predominantly from development material on the 1980-metre level including material beyond limits of central high grade block to confirm interpretation of the zone and to ensure that high grade gold would not be left behind when stoping began.
The company’s PNG general manager Richard Johnson said: “Our aspirational objective of becoming a profitable, low cost, high margin gold producer is nearing fruition.
A third hammer mill had been installed which would allow continuous operation of two mills, substantially increasing throughput going forward.
“Our focus remained on ramping up production to full capacity as mining focuses on the gold rich structure within the central high grade block of the HGZ.”
Crater Mountain is located 50 kilometr southwest of Goroka.
The company expects that the mining rate and recovered gold grade would increase with stoping now underway.
According to Crater, development in the past year had delineated the high grade zone from the 1960-meter level original adit up to the surface at the 1990-metre level.
The mining focus has now switched from development and exploration to stoping of high grade gold block from the 1960-metre level up.
Recent gold production had been predominantly from development material on the 1980-metre level including material beyond limits of central high grade block to confirm interpretation of the zone and to ensure that high grade gold would not be left behind when stoping began.
The company’s PNG general manager Richard Johnson said: “Our aspirational objective of becoming a profitable, low cost, high margin gold producer is nearing fruition.
A third hammer mill had been installed which would allow continuous operation of two mills, substantially increasing throughput going forward.
“Our focus remained on ramping up production to full capacity as mining focuses on the gold rich structure within the central high grade block of the HGZ.”
Crater Mountain is located 50 kilometr southwest of Goroka.