Gold exploration company Sacre-Coeur Minerals says it has boosted gold production significantly at its operations here and has been producing over five ounces of the precious mineral per day since the installation of new equipment.
The Canadian company attributed its increased production level to a new high capacity dredge operating at design throughput rates and also the recent completion of installation of new refinery equipment. “A systematic grade control program has been implemented to keep mining focused on just the alluvial “pay zone” to minimize mining dilution. A booster pump has been installed in the water supply system for the monitors to increase pressure and volume to break up cemented gravel and to move more material to the plant, now that the dredge has ample capacity to handle more than 50 cubic meters of alluvial gravel per hour,” a company statement said.
It said that new equipment in the refinery, which processes mine concentrates, includes a Falcon centrifugal concentrator and attendant screens and materials handling equipment, final gravity cleaning equipment and an electronically controlled smelting furnace. “The new equipment, which has ample capacity to process all mine concentrate produced, enables the company to efficiently produce relatively high purity dore bullion ingots without the use of mercury,” the company said.
It added that since the new mining and refinery equipment was commissioned, 90.2 troy ounces has been produced from 17.2 days (24hrs) of operation, for an overall average production since completion of the modifications of 5.24 tr oz Au/day. Gold production continues to improve as the mining crews become more familiar with the equipment, and as refinery procedures are optimized. Average production for the past two days has increased to over 8 tr oz Au/day, the statement said.
It said that to date 84.4 troy ounces of dore bullion have been sold to the Guyana Gold Board since the modifications to the mining system and refinery have been completed.
“We are very pleased that as a result of the installation of new mining and refinery equipment, and with adjustment of our mining procedure, the alluvial program is beginning to contribute net cash flow to significantly offset the Company’s operating expenses. Based on the success experienced to date, with further refinements to the existing system, and with the addition of more production unit(s) the Company believes it will be able to completely cover its total costs, and perhaps add to its cash position from its alluvial production program,” the statement said.
The alluvial mining program is being carried out on alluvial deposits in the vicinity of its hard-rock resources and exploration targets. “Though the area of alluvial gold deposition on the company’s properties is substantial, the quantity that can be economically mined and processed by the methods currently being utilized is indeterminate. Variations in gold grade, susceptibility of contained gold particles to gravity concentration, and other depositional variables can have significant impacts on the economics of alluvial production of gold. The Company has not completed sufficient studies of these variables to predict future alluvial production or the economics thereof,” the company said.
Sacre-Coeur is engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of properties for gold, metals and diamonds in South America, initially focussing on exploration and production of gold from its properties in Guyana. The Company presently holds 100% interest in approximately 1000 sq. km of mineral properties in Guyana, including the Million Mountain Property.
