Pantoro Ltd (ASX:PNR) has placed an order for and committed to the installation of a STEINART multi-sensor ore sorter at the Nicolsons gold mine in Western Australia.
The advanced ore sorting technology is expected to return excellent recovery of ore, while substantially increasing feed grade to the mill.
The move comes after the completion of extensive sorting test work on ore from Nicolsons.
Test work indicates high recoveries and more efficient milling
The test work showed overall gold recoveries of 95-98% in test samples depending on ore type.
Once installed, ore sorting is expected to result in a 30-60% reduction in material reporting to the mill.
This, in turn, is expected to result in mill feed grades of 1.5-2.5 times the mined grade.
Paul Cmrlec, managing director, said: “We are confident that the highly advanced ore sorting technology will return excellent recovery of ore, while substantially increasing feed grade to the mill.”
Ore sorter to facilitate expansion up to 100,000 ounces per annum
Ore sorting is expected to facilitate planned gold production increases with only minor additional works required in the processing plant.
Pantoro remains on track to increase gold production to 80,000-100,000 ounces per annum.
The company recently recorded its ninth consecutive quarter of increased gold production from the Nicolsons Mine.
Pantoro remains focussed on continuing to increase ore production from Nicolsons underground mine in the immediate term, and the commencement of underground mining beneath the Wagtail and Rowdies open pits during the first half of 2018.
In addition, the ore sorter will allow Pantoro to process low grade stockpiles which would otherwise lie dormant.
Aggressive drilling continues
The company is continuing its strategy of aggressive underground and surface drilling campaigns aimed at substantially increasing Ore Reserves by the middle of 2018.
This will lay the foundation for ramping up targeted production rates of 80,000-100,000 ounces of gold per annum.
READ: Pantoro drills out an underground future at open-pit gold mine
Recently, Pantoro drilled out extensive high-grade gold mineralisation beneath its Wagtail and Rowdies open pits.
The results importantly confirm Wagtail will be the next underground development for Pantoro alongside its nearby Nicolsons underground gold mine.
Ore sorter installation to be funded from cash flow
Site works are due to commence during the current month, and the ore sorter is planned to be fully operational in April 2018.
Notably, Pantoro intends to complete the installation of the ore sorter and other upgrades using operating cash flows.
The installation of the ore sorter simplifies and substantially reduces the time and cost of the required processing plant upgrade to achieve production goals.