Ariana Resources plc (LON:AAU) has completed the interim tailings storage facility that it will use to store mine waste from its Kiziltepe gold project in Turkey.
Kiziltepe is part of the Red Rabbit Joint Venture with Proccea Construction Co. and is 50% owned by Ariana.
The completion of the tailings storage facility was a pre-requisite ahead of an application for a routine operations permit, and the company is now preparing to apply for this permit.
Perhaps more significantly though, operationally the mine and the processing plant are now ready to go, and formal production is expected to commence in the coming weeks.
"As expected, a suitable weather window opened during the beginning of February, enabling the installation of the remaining geomembrane for the interim Stage One tailings storage facility,” said Ariana chief executive Kerim Sener.
“With the TSF now ready for initial start-up, construction of the mine is effectively 100% complete for production to commence. Production will formally commence once we have received our Operations Permit, for which an application to the authorities is in the process of being prepared, and while we await technical approvals for the TSF installation.”