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Kavango begins commissioning Hillside gold plant in Zimbabwe
The 50-tonne-per-day processing plant has been running since July 1, with testing showing gold adsorption in the CIL circuit and 69% average capacity utilization between July 18 and July 28.
Kavango Resources has started commissioning its Hillside gold project in Zimbabwe after installing a 50-tonne-per-day processing plant, marking a shift from construction to live processing, Mining.com reports.
Material has been processed through crushing, milling, gravity concentration and a carbon-in-leach, or CIL, circuit since July 1 using feed from Hillside operations, including stockpiled material and freshly milled gold-bearing sands. Between July 18 and July 28, the plant achieved average capacity utilization of 69%, and testing confirmed gold is being successfully adsorbed in the CIL circuit.
The company said its immediate priority is to commission the plant safely and methodically, optimize performance, and establish stable processing operations. Kavango also set up an on-site laboratory with bottle roll, fire assay and atomic absorption spectrometer capabilities to support plant optimization, mining, and exploration.
Hillside’s Bill’s Luck Underground deposit hosts a JORC-compliant mineral resource of 33,900 oz grading 2.68 grams gold per tonne, and metallurgical testwork indicates expected operating recoveries of 90% to 93% under commercial conditions. Kavango said the proof-of-concept plant is intended to validate the processing flowsheet before larger commercial expansion and that it will provide updates as commissioning progresses toward first gold production.
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