The first full year of production from the Don Mario gold mine in Bolivia has ended well for
Orvana’s fourth quarter, which ended Sept. 30, saw just over 56,000 tonnes of ore milled at Don Mario — about two-thirds from underground and a third from the mine’s “mini-pit” on surface. The head grade of the ore was 8.7 grams gold per tonne, up from 8.5 grams per tonne in the quarter ended in June and up from 5.7 grams in Orvana’s first quarter (October through December 2003), as more mining shifted to underground reserves.
Mill recoveries, which had averaged around 89% in July and August, fell to 72% in September, as relatively copper-rich ore from the mini-pit was treated. The copper slowed the gold-leaching process and depressed recoveries.
Underground development on the lower mineralized zone is progressing, and infill drilling on the upper mineralized zone, intended to tighten resource classifications in that area, is now complete.
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