Bezant Resources, Bezant Resources PLC (AIM:BZT), the exploration and development company with projects in Namibia, Botswana and Zambia, has completed its first blast at the Hope open pit site within its Hope & Gorob copper-gold project.
The London-listed company holds a 90% interest in the Namibian project.
The blast moved 20,000 tonnes of rock in order to free up approximately 2,000 tonnes of mineralisation considered commercially viable.
Early assessment indicated that the exposed mineralisation was consistent with the company's geological block model in both location and grade.
Bezant's grade control team, whose role is to test rock samples to confirm the concentration of valuable minerals before it is processed, will now compare assays from blastholes against the freshly exposed surface.
The exercise marks the first practical test of the team's training in selecting run-of-mine ore, meaning material extracted directly from the pit, for stockpiling ahead of processing.
The company has completed onboarding of a plant site manager and is continuing to recruit plant operators.
Bezant's geology department is working with external consultants Sound Mining to verify the accuracy of the block model.
Blastholes for a second blast have already been drilled, while mining contractor Unitrans has started clearing ground and separating ore from waste.
Colin Bird, executive chairman of Bezant, said the blast had achieved good fragmentation and was well positioned relative to the ore body.
