The first gold pour has been achieved eight weeks ahead of schedule at Sumatra Copper & Gold’sTembang Gold-Silver Project in southern Sumatra, Indonesia.

The maiden gold bar weighed in at 3703.3 grams or 119 ounces comprising gold and silver recovered from the leach circuit.

The gold was sourced predominantly from low-grade ore feed as part of the commissioning process to test the crushing and CIL circuit.

Plant commissioning, including the gravity circuit, is continuing this month with higher grade run-of-mine ore starting to be fed top the plant as testing activities conclude.

The company’s managing director David Fowler said in an announcement on September 29, “We have reached this milestone only nine months after construction resumed at Tembang in December 2014.

“The handover from the project’s construction team to operations has been successfully accomplished following the achievement of a steady state processing rate at 90% of nameplate capacity of 45 tonnes per hour over the last week.”

The ASX-listed company’s wholly-owned subsidiary PT Dwinad Nusa Sejahtera has drawn down the second tranche of US$5 million from its senior secured debt facility. The total US$45 million facility has now been fully drawn.

As well as its flagship Tembang project, the company has an extensive exploration portfolio with projects ranging from brownfield, near-production opportunities to strategically located greenfield holdings.