$27.6m plant upgrade approved for Tucano

PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The board of gold miner Beadell Resources has approved a $27.6-million upgrade of its Tucano gold plant, in Brazil, following a positive feasibility study.

The study considered the addition of a 6 MW ball mill, high-rate thickener, an additional leach tank and an oxygen sparging system, which will enable the Tucano plant to process a mix of sulphide and oxide mill feed and to process head grades in line with the reserve grade, consistently.

The modifications to the plant will also allow for an increase in forecast recoveries from 88% to 93%, and a more steady gold production profile and increased free cash flow.

“The feasibility study results show that the plant upgrades will add significant value to the Tucano project. Once complete, we look forward to the mine being fully optimised for the first time with resultant consistency of production and cash flows,” said Beadell MD and CEO Simon Jackson.

As mining at Tucano deepens, Beadell expects an increase in the amount of sulphide ore, which will require a finer grade to achieve economic gold recoveries. The new ball mill allows for a finer grind size and will enable the mine to be fully optimised for any combination of sulphide and oxide ores.

The throughput at the mill will be maintained at 3.6-million tonnes a year, but the plant modification is expected to deliver 190 471 oz of incremental gold, generating additional revenues of $233.3-million.

Beadell said on Thursday that the timing of the feasibility study was driven by the need to undertake civil works and concrete pours during the dry season in the second half of 2017, with the plant upgrades expected to be complete by mid-2018.