Asante Gold Corporation is pleased to announce the successful refurbishment, commissioning and start of operation of the Process Plant and associated equipment at the Bibiani Gold Mine. Following an intensive period of refurbishment and upgrade of the Process Plant, principal equipment has been commissioned and confirmed operational. A 14-day period of intermittent operation is planned to test controls, calibrate operating systems and align critical equipment “under full load”. This is expected to lead to 24 hour/day operation by the end of June 2022.
The Bibiani Gold Mine came out of care and maintenance in September 2021 and an extensive refurbishment program has continued since that time. With the support of its key contractors, Asante remains on track to pour gold in the third quarter of 2022.
The mining program is on track, with material movement running at 6M tonnes per month. Stockpiling of mineralized material on the Run of Mine Pad (ROM) has been ongoing since mining commenced in February 2022. As of late May there are +200,000 tonnes of mineralized material on the ROM Pad.
Comprehensive refurbishment has been completed on the primary crusher, all conveyors, SAG and Ball Mills, ancillary equipment, all mechanical drives, lubrication systems, electric motors, pumps, piping, electric systems, instrumentation systems, valves, steelwork, rubber installations and civil works.
Asante is pleased to recognize and thank the team from Harlequin International, which conducted the refurbishment program and ensured a high level of quality work was completed safely.
Dave Anthony, President and CEO stated, “We are pleased that our refurbishment efforts at the Bibiani Gold Mine have been delivered ahead of schedule. The excellent and timely work completed safely by Ghanaian contractors, is just another example of how the Ghanaian mining industry is fully resourced to support development and maintenance of modern, large-scale mining operations. With the Process Plant operational, Asante is now ready to advance with Start of Operations.”
