The upgraded custom-built gold processing plant for Crater Gold Mining’s HGZ gold mine has arrived in Papua New Guinea from China. The plant is at the company’s premises in Goroka awaiting an air lift to the mine, which forms part of the Crater Gold Project.

The delivery was several weeks behind schedule owing to shipping logistic delays with the Christmas/New Year period further extending the delay. The plant is being prepared for the air lift to site in the next two weeks.

The company has arranged the charter of a Mil8 heavy lift helicopter to transport the plant to the site.

The upgraded mining plant comprises two new hammer mills, two high speed centrifugal concentrators and gravity separation shaking tables. In addition a new compressor and rail mounted rocker-shovel are to improve underground production capacity. The compressor effectively allows a potential doubling of mining rates going forward.

The new centrifugal concentrators and shaking tables will provide better recovery efficiencies when compared to the existing testing plant. The bulk sampling circuit, comprising a crusher, hammer mill and small centrifugal gravity concentrator has effectively served its purpose during the initial evaluation phase.

A second adit level at approximately 1930RL is being planned to commence in due course to open up an additional 30 metre vertical extent of known shoots.

A refreshed geological interpretation has resulted in an improved understanding of the controls to mineralisation enabling future mining to be better focused.

Crater Gold’s managing director Russ Parker said, “We are excited by the upcoming phase for the company, during which we anticipate an acceleration of our process of transition from a pure developer to an active profitable gold producer.

“Our recent discovery at the South Artisan Workings (SAW) Zone represents the potential for additional mineralisation in close proximity to the soon to be upgraded plant and a potentially longer mine life operation.”