As Perth-based Central Asia Resources (ASX:CVR) nears gold production from its Dalabai prospect in Kazakhstan it is already planning to bump up output beyond the forecast 25,000 ounces per year and potentially extend its current 2.7-year mine life through a $1 million exploration program.
The program, which is set to begin this quarter, will progress Central Asia Resources’ three prospects in Kazakhstan – Dalabai, Altyntas and Bizhe.
The Dalabai drilling program, which attracts a $500,000 exploration commitment, is designed to maintain and potentially increase the mine life and planned production, which is also set to begin this quarter at 15,000 ounces per annum from Dalabai.
Dalabai has a total indicated and inferred resource of 3.98 million tonnes (Mt) at 0.97 grams per tonne (g/t) for 124,000 ounces of gold.
The majority of the current Dalabai resource is from zones 4, 5 and central, which are three of the 10 identified ore zones on the portion of the licence area which has been explored.
Zones 4 and 5 are the first two planned pits and remain open along strike. Central Asia Resources said drilling was planned to close these zones off.
Drilling will also be conducted on the central zone and zones 2 and 7.
Drilling at Altyntas, which has been allocated $300,000, will primarily target the areas of the ore body expected to provide feed for a 40,000-ounce per year heap leach facility, planned for a 2013 start-up.
Carbon-in-leach production at Altyntas is estimated at 65,000 ounces per year over seven years.
Altyntas has a total indicated and inferred resource of 16.5Mt at 1.14g/t for 598,000 ounces of gold.
The Bizhe drilling program, which Central Asia Resources has committed $200,000 to, has already started and is designed to test the encouraging trenching results on one of two known ore zones on the 246 square kilometre licence area.
Bizhe is initially being assessed as feed for the Dalabai processing facility, less than 20 kilometres away.