Hummingbird Resources plc has started commissioning of the processing plant ahead of first gold pour this quarter at Kouroussa open pit gold mine in Guinea.
PREPARATIONS
The high grade gold mine, at over 4 g/t, is the company’s second operating gold asset in West Africa, after Yanfolila in Mali.
Hummingbird said that practical completion on priority systems at the Kouroussa processing plant had now been achieved.
Kouroussa’s engineering contractor, Soutex, and specialist Hummingbird commissioning personnel will co-ordinate the commissioning phase.
Pre-operational and cold commissioning is currently underway and, once completed, will move to the hot commissioning phase, followed by the first gold pour.
The SAG [semi-autogenous grinding] mill mechanical and piping installations are nearly complete, lubrication units are being filled with lubricants, and instrument testing is starting.
Sufficient ore feed tonnes are on the ROM pad for commissioning, with “mining activities accelerating” to provide increased ore feed tonnes on the ROM pad for first gold pour followed by name plate production.
Hydrotesting is complete on the pre-leach, CIL [carbon-in-leach], raw water and reagent tanks, with mechanical equipment pre-operational testing also in progress.
Original equipment manufacturers vendors are at Kouroussa for dry and wet plant equipment commissioning.
SITE READINESS
The permanent mine camp is now completed for 140 work personnel, with final key processing plant, maintenance, geology and administrative staff currently being recruited.
Accommodation for security is also complete with more security personnel arriving on site.
Security fencing is being installed as a priority at the tailing storage facility, permanent mine camp, ROM pad, and around the processing plant.
Permanent power units are installed and operational for the commissioning phase, with additional units being installed ready for first gold pour and the increase in production.
DAILY OPERATIONS
Chief executive Dan Betts added that the start of commissioning of the processing plant was a significant step forward.
“As we begin the commissioning phase to bring Kouroussa online, we remain heavily focused on safety at this busy time.
“Additionally, operational readiness and the transition to daily operations is a key part of this phase as we look not just to first gold, but to ramping up production to name plate capacity, moving the company to being a +200,000-ounce, multi-asset, multi-jurisdiction gold producer.”