The first sales of copper and gold concentrate have been completed from Orsu Metals Corporation’s Varvarinskoye Mine in Kazakhstan.

By the end of June the London-based precious metal mining, development and exploration company formerly known as European Minerals Corporation, had shipped the first two lots of copper-gold concentrate totalling 5000 tonnes to Trafigura Beheer, Amsterdam, with an estimated contained value of more than US$9 million. Shipping of the third lot of 2500 tonnes was completed in mid July.

The sale of Varvarinskoye’s gold doré to Metalor Technologies Group, Switzerland, is continuing and more than 9500 ounces have been delivered, with a total value of more than US$7 million.

A 20,000 metre RC drilling program has started within the Central Pit at Varvarinskoye to better delineate the ore blocks and improve grade control.

To achieve required production targets within the pits, five new 90 tonne Caterpillar 777F trucks and two new blast hole drills have been ordered with delivery expected within the next 10 months. The mine has reinstated 24-hour mining operations after they were suspended on one of two shifts during April and May while drawing down stockpiles.

The blasting contractor has brought in a new blasting expert and a new, permanent explosives mixing and delivery truck. These changes in will improve the overall productivity of the mine and will allow for better fragmentation and therefore improved grade control.

Within the mill, progress is being made on ramping up throughput in flotation and leach circuits.

The flotation, thickening and filtering portions of the flotation circuit have shown they are capable of operating at required design specifications and operated at up to 180 tonnes per day of concentrate production. The flotation-circuit grinding is operating between 60% and 70% of design capacity.

Leach-circuit grinding has shown the most improvement overall, increasing hourly throughput from 180 tonnes to 330 tonnes per hour, thus operating at 85% of design capacity.

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