Kavango starts commissioning Zimbabwe gold mine

Kavango Resources (LON: KAV) has begun commissioning its Hillside gold project in Zimbabwe after installing a 50-tonne-per-day processing plant, marking the transition from construction to live processing.

Material has been processed through the crushing, milling, gravity concentration and carbon-in-leach (CIL) circuit since July 1 using feed sourced entirely from the company's Hillside operations, including stockpiled and freshly milled gold-bearing sands. Between July 18 and July 28, the plant achieved average capacity utilisation of 69%, while testing confirmed gold is being successfully adsorbed within the CIL circuit.

"Our immediate priority is to commission the plant safely and methodically, optimising plant performance and establishing stable processing operations," chairman Donald McAlister said. "The knowledge gained during this phase will support our plans to expand processing capacity and accelerate production growth across the Hillside gold project."

Commercial plans

The company has also established an on-site laboratory equipped with bottle roll, fire assay and atomic absorption spectrometer capabilities to support plant optimisation, mining and exploration activities.

The proof-of-concept plant is intended to validate Kavango's processing flowsheet before a larger commercial expansion. The Bill's Luck Underground deposit hosts a JORC-compliant mineral resource of 33,900 oz. grading 2.68 grams gold per tonne, while metallurgical testwork indicates expected operating recoveries of 90% to 93% under commercial conditions.

Kavango said it expects to provide further updates as commissioning progresses, including the achievement of first gold production and completion of the commissioning phase.