TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – Construction is progressing rapidly at True Gold's $131.5-million Karma project, in Burkina Faso, with construction about 62% complete.
The West-Africa-focused project developer said on Monday that the community liaison committee, the critical communication channel between the company and the local communities, was operating with more than 80 representatives from local villages.
The TSX-V-listed company restarted construction of the project in May, after protests by religiously motivated locals had halted construction in January. A tripartite agreement signed on June 15 between the government, True Gold and community leaders confirmed formal support of the Karma mine.
Over the second quarter ended June, True Gold had made significant progress at Karma, with more than 600 staff on site. The project was reported to be on track to pour first gold by the end of the first quarter next year.
As at July 31, the mining fleet had been commissioned and was operational. The raw-water-pond excavation had been completed and the water pipeline from the barrage to site was 95% complete. The company had also made good progress on excavating the storm water and pregnant leach solution ponds and cells one to six of the heap leach pads.
Within the process plant, foundations were under construction for the soft rock crusher, cement silos, cyanide mixing and agglomeration areas. The power plant had arrived on site with all generators mounted on plinths, while the fuel farm had been completed.
Meanwhile, the adsorption, desorption and recovery plant assembly had started and was advancing rapidly.
True Gold had completed Phase I condemnation drilling at the Goulagou II waste dump and grade control drilling at the site was currently under way.
The company had procured 99% of the required items and materials and deliveries to site were 55% complete. The agglomeration drum had been received at site as well as the elution column.
True Gold reiterated that despite the construction delays experienced earlier this year, the Karma project was forecast to be funded through construction to production. As at July 31, True Gold had $30.5-million in cash and up to $48.4-million available under its finance facility, with outstanding project costs requiring about $60-million.