PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Commissioning of the Davyhurst mill, in Western Australia, has been completed, with ASX-listed Eastern Goldfields on Friday reporting that continuous ore processing had started.
First gold pour from the gravity circuit is expected on July 19, and the first leach circuit gold pour is scheduled for July 21.
“We are delighted to report that wet commissioning of the Davyhurst processing facility is now complete. Mining operations have continued to progress well, building a substantial supply of low-to-medium-grade ore ready to support the ramp-up in production,” said Eastern Goldfields chairperson Michael Fotios.
“Our firm focus is on first gold pour which is expected imminently and will mark a significant milestone for the company on its journey to become the newest Australian gold producer.”
The Davyhurst plant is currently the subject of a legal tussle between Eastern Goldfields and project house GR Engineering, which has lodged a claim of A$9.9-million in the Supreme Court of Western Australia.
The two companies are disputing the final contract price of GR Engineering’s refurbishment of the 1.2-million-tonne-a-year Davyhurst processing plant, with the project house in May this year halting work at the plant. This prompted Eastern Goldfields to complete the refurbishment itself, with the miner claiming to have subsequently discovered “numerous defects and omissions” by GR Engineering.
GR Engineering’s decision to suspend work at the processing plant caused delays in the restart of production, Eastern Goldfields said earlier.
Edited by: Mariaan Webb
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online
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