Bezant Resources PLC, an exploration and development company operating in Namibia, Botswana, and Zambia, is pleased to announce the successful completion of the first blast at the Hope open pit site within its 90% owned Hope & Gorob copper-gold project in Namibia.
The company has completed a 20,000-tonne blast aimed at liberating approximately 2,000 tonnes of commercially viable mineralisation. Preliminary evaluations confirm that the surface mineralisation following the blast aligns well with the geological block model, both in location and grade.
The Bezant grade control team will now compare assay results from blasthole sampling with the current surface mineralisation to refine ore selection. This marks the first opportunity for the team to apply their training in selecting run of mine (“ROM”) ore for stockpiling. Mining and transport of the ROM ore to the Tsaoxaub Metals flotation plant will begin shortly to build a stockpile in preparation for future plant commissioning.
Onboarding of the plant site manager is complete, and recruitment of plant operators is ongoing. Meanwhile, the Hope & Gorob mine geology department is working closely with external resource consultants, Sound Mining, to validate the existing block model. Blastholes have been drilled ahead of the second blast, and the mining contractor, Unitrans, has started ground clearance and the separation of ore and waste for haulage to the plant site and waste storage.
“We are pleased to announce this important milestone in the development of the Hope and Gorob Copper and Gold mine,” said Colin Bird, Executive Chairman of Bezant. “The blast was successful, delivering excellent fragmentation and was very well positioned relative to the ore. This success is a testament to our external geological advisor Sound Engineering and our newly recruited geological staff. The project continues to advance in all areas, and we are particularly encouraged by the intense activity at the NLZM plant. We will keep the market updated as we progress towards key milestones such as ore input and the production of saleable concentrate.”
This milestone marks a significant step forward in Bezant’s mining development and highlights the company’s ongoing commitment to advancing its copper and gold projects efficiently and effectively.
