Zimbabwe-based gold miner Caledonia Mining Corporation PLC (LON:CMCL TSX:CAL) has racked up another record quarter at the Blanket mine.
Production at the 49% owned mine totalled 16,425 ounces of gold in the three months to December, 14% more than the previous quarter and 21% higher than a year ago.
For 2017 in total, production was 11% higher than the previous year at 56,135 ounces, which was just ahead of guidance and also a yearly record for Blanket.
Steve Curtis, chief executive, said: “Full year production of 56,135 ounces for 2017 is a significant achievement especially when considering the relatively slow production we experienced in the first half of the year.
“To finish the second half of the year with two quarterly production records and the production of almost 31,000 ounces of gold in the six month period is an achievement of which all of our technical and production staff should be justifiably proud.
Caledonia is undertaking a major upgrade at Blanket to boost production to production to 80,000 ounces by 2021.
In the current year, Blanket is scheduled to produce between 55,000 and 59,000oz.