Caledonia Mining Corporation PLC (LON:CMCL) (TSE:CAL) has completed the shaft sinking at the new Central Shaft at its Blanket gold mine in Zimbabwe.
The Central Shaft project has been in progress since early 2015 and the company has spent about C$44mln sinking a new shaft from the surface to a depth of more than 1,200 metres.
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With the shaft sinking now completed, the project moves to the equipping phase. Production from the shaft is expected to commence in the third quarter of next year, after which production at the mine is expected to ramp up to the target of 80,000 ounces of gold per year from 2022 onwards.
"Completion of the shaft sinking is an important milestone in Caledonia's investment plan,” said Steve Curtis, Caledonia's chief executive officer.