For used mining equipment for sale, visit our Website: http://www.msloaneconsulting.com.In April 2008, the last legal barrier to starting production was removed and ore began to be produced in October. Production for 2008 was between 25,000oz to 30,000oz, at an expected cost of between $365 and $385 an ounce.
The gold mine has an estimated 100 million ounces of deposits and an estimated mine life of between seven and eight years. From 2009 onwards it is expected to produce around 130,000oz per annum or between 500t of ore and 1,500t of development rock per day. Total costs on the mine during 2008 totalled about $27m. Proven and probable reserves equate to nearly two million tons at a grade of 15.46g/t.
The ore will be mined through three horizontal tunnels, called adits, through which equipment, personnel and rock will be transported in and out. These will measure 12ft×12ft and will penetrate the mountain by 1,000ft. Ore will be extracted through openings in the mountain that will later be filled in using a combination of cemented sand, gravel and development rock.
At the end of 2008 the mine and nearby milling operation at Kettle Falls had created 140 jobs with a further 40 expected to come on stream when the facility reaches full capacity, which will go some way to help the locality's unemployment rate which currently stands at approximately 8%. On top of this, a partnership
