FOCUS COMMENCES PRODUCTION AT TINDALS OPEN PITS
- Business on track to produce 100,000oz in CY2011
- Three operating mines now underpinning strong growth forecast
Australian gold producer Focus Minerals (ASX: FML) is pleased to announce that it has started ore production at its new open pit operations at the Tindals Mining Centre in Coolgardie, Western Australia, putting the Company on track to deliver 100,000oz in calendar 2011.
Ore mining has commenced at the Empress open pit (see Figure 1) which has a reserve grade of 2.2g/t, enabling Focus to immediately replace its low grade stockpile mill feed with higher-grade material from the open pits.
The open pits at the Tindals Mining Centre form the third leg of Focus’ growing production strategy, joining its existing underground mining operations at the Tindals Mining Centre and its recently opened mine at The Mount, 85km to the south.
The commencement of production will see Focus ramp up the open pit operations with the goal of adding 30,000oz per annum.
“This is another key step in our growing production story,” said Focus Chief Executive Campbell Baird. “We now have three operating mines, two of which are new, and are well set to build our production profile strongly in the second half of the calendar year.
“The real attraction of the open pits is the relatively high-grade, shallow mineralisation on offer which will help increase our overall grades going through the mill.”
The open pit operations have probable reserves of 505,000t at 2.14g/t for 34,700oz (Table 1) and are located less than 5km from Focus’ Three Mile Hill treatment plant.