Highlights
Gold bars weighing 23.9 kg (768 troy oz) poured in the first smelt on site
75,000t ore at 1.5 g/t Au has been processed since start up
Process plant has exceeded nameplate capacity for the past seven days of production
All critical spares and reagents are on site and no process interruptions are forecast
Processing plant and power station fully operational
Open-pit ore stockpiles building with 250,000t at 1.5 g/t Au on the ROM pad
First underground development ore mined and stockpiled, ready to process
Visible gold exposed outside of the mine plan in underground development drive
More than 3,000,000 hours worked LTI free
West African Executive Chairman
Project Update
Construction and Commissioning Activities
On Wednesday the 18th of March, 2020 the Sanbrado project poured its maiden gold bars weighing 23.9 kg (768 troy oz). Construction and commissioning activities are complete in all areas and the project has recently passed 3,000,000 hours worked LTI free. The process plant mill throughput is already meeting nameplate capacity. At the time of reporting 75,000t at 1.5 g/t Au has been processed through the Sanbrado plant, with indicative metallurgical recoveries over 90%. The Company would like to thank WAF's Owners Team and key contractors and consultants; ECG,
Open Pit Mining
Open-pit mining has ramped up mining activities and continues at both the M5 and M1 South pits, with double day/night shifts ongoing. Currently there are 250,000 tonnes of oxide ore on the ROM pad at an average grade of 1.5 g/t gold, which is reconciling well with grade control models.
Underground Mining
Underground development continues to progress to schedule. The first development crosscut on the 2120 level (300m below surface) has intercepted visible gold north of the mine plan. Some 1,200t of underground ore has been mined and stockpiled ready for processing. Grade control drilling of the first panel on the 2120 level has intercept visible gold, assays are pending.
COVID 19 Emergency Response Plan and Operational Readiness
Since early February the Company has been following
WAF executive and site management have recently undertaken a Covid 19 risk assessment workshop on site at Sanbrado. WAF's site management team includes key people that worked through the Ebola crisis in
From an operational perspective, all key reagents and consumables are on site for continuous gold production for the next three to six months. The newly commissioned fuel farm is currently receiving regular fuel deliveries from fuel supplier Oryx Burkina Faso and is expected to be filled to capacity within the next week.
About
The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in the original market announcement titled 'West African to produce 300Koz gold in Year 1 at Sanbrado' on
Forward Looking Information
This news release contains 'forward-looking information' within the meaning of applicable Canadian and Australian securities legislation, including information relating to West African's future financial or operating performance that may be deemed 'forward looking'. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that West African expects to occur, are 'forward-looking statements'. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words 'expects', 'does not expect', 'plans', 'anticipates', 'does not anticipate', 'believes', 'intends', 'estimates', 'projects', 'potential', 'scheduled', 'forecast', 'budget' and similar expressions, or that events or conditions 'will', 'would', 'may', 'could', 'should' or 'might' occur. All such forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of the relevant management as of the date such statements are made and are subject to important risk factors and uncertainties, many of which are beyond West African's ability to control or predict. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements
In the case of
As well, all of the results of the feasibility study constitute forward-looking information, including estimates of internal rates of return, net present value, future production, estimates of cash cost, assumed long term price for gold, proposed mining plans and methods, mine life estimates, cashflow forecasts, metal recoveries, and estimates of capital and operating costs.
West African's forward-looking information is based on the reasonable beliefs, expectations and opinions of their respective management on the date the statements are made and West African does not assume any obligation to update forward looking information if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions change, except as required by law. For the reasons set forth above, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. For a complete discussion with respect to West African, please refer to West African's website www.westafricanresources.com, financial statements and other filings all of which are filed on the ASX.
Contact:
Tel: +61 8 9481 7344
(C) 2020 Electronic News Publishing, source