Anglo Asian Mining PLC (AIM:AAZ, OTC:AGXKF) told investors it has started production at the Gilar underground mine in Azerbaijan.
Ore is now being mined from Zone 4, which has high copper and gold grades.
The company expects to unearth around 2,000 tonnes of ore per day. It will be processed first by agitation leaching to extract gold as doré, and then by flotation to produce a copper concentrate.
Bringing Gilar online supports Anglo Asian’s targeted shift to become a mid-tier copper producer, with monthly production set to ramp up to between 50,000 and 60,000 tonnes of ore.
“After years of exploration and development works, I wish to thank all the team for their hard work in delivering this achievement,” said chief executive Reza Vaziri.
“Gilar is set to play a crucial role in our strategy to transition to a mid-tier, primarily copper-focused producer."
Gilar has a JORC mineral resource of over 54,000 tonnes of copper and 255,000 ounces of gold – a December 2023 estimate stated 6.1 million tonnes of mineralisation with an average copper grade of 0.88% and 1.3 grams of gold per tonne.