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Simberi targets withdrawn as mine remains suspended

3rd June 2021

By: Esmarie Iannucci

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor: Australasia

     

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PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Gold miner St Barbara has withdrawn the 2021 production guidance for its Simberi operation, in Papua New Guinea, following a fatality in May.

The miner on May 21 temporarily suspended operations at Simberi following the fatality of a local employee, with the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) launching a full investigation into the incident.

The investigation by the MRA remains ongoing, however, the company has been advised that specific activities relating to site maintenance, grade control drilling and drill and blast activities could resume. Mining operations remain suspended.

Additionally, a scheduled inspection of Simberi’s deep sea tailings placement pipeline has observed a failure in the pipeline at a water depth of 54 m, which resulted in St Barbara ceasing the placement of tailings through the pipeline.

The cause of the failure is not yet known.

The ASX-listed miner told shareholders that the Conservation and Environmental Protection Authority had been notified of the pipeline failure, and that an investigation had started.

No environmental harm has been reported, nor has pluming of tailings been observed, the miner said.

Before the fatality, St Barbara announced that production estimates at Simberi for the full year had decreased from 95 000 oz, to between 80 000 oz and 90 000 oz, as the operation continued to be impacted by ore variability, as a result of low mining rates not achieving planned face positions, which is affecting gold recovery. Workforce availability, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, was also a factor, the miner said.

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

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