JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Aim-listed Avocet Mining produced 17 011 oz for the first quarter of the year, at a cash cost of $1 113/oz.

This was lower than the company’s fourth quarter 2014 results, when it produced 19 503 oz at a cash cost of $1 052/oz, owing to a number of factors.

Ore milling at the company’s Inata mine, in Burkina Faso, resumed on January 7, following an interruption in operations caused by a strike in December. Mining restarted in February, following the optimisation of revised manning structures. “A complement of about 600 staff based on a three-shift system have been configured, in contrast to the previous arrangements of four shifts with a complement of nearly 800,” Avocet said in a statement.

Total mining of 1.8-million tonnes was only 7% lower than the previous quarter.

“The head grade of 2.5g/t reflected the working of some of the highest-grade ore within the North pit, boosting cash flow following the loss of revenue during the disruption resulting from the strike,” it added.

The overall recovery at 52% was impacted by a failure of an agitator gearbox within the carbon blinding circuit, which resulted in that section of the plant operating at half capacity for over three weeks.

A failure towards the end of March of the crucible within the smelting apparatus also impacted gold production by delaying one gold pour into the second quarter.
 
During the quarter, preparations were completed for a programme of drilling and metallurgical testwork at Souma, also in West Africa, which started in April. A large number of artisanal miners were peacefully cleared from the site and two drill rigs were mobilised.

“The objectives of the programme are to confirm that Souma's metallurgy is oxide and noncarbonaceous, and to generate a maiden ore reserve, either as a standalone heap leach operation or as satellite feed for Inata. It is expected that drilling and assay results will become available during the second quarter,” Avocet highlighted.
 
Having received an exploitation permit for its Tri-K project, in Guinea, from the government at the end of March, the company would now focus on re-engineering the project to reduce capital expenditure and financing discussions for the construction of the new mine.