Scotgold Resources has reported that it was only able to mine 1,257oz gold in the three months to March, due to restricted production from heavy tunnelling.
The mine was providing an update on its first quarter production for the year.
As a result of the underground work its throughput was up to 3,000 tonnes of feed and it resulted in it not reaching its estimate of 1,400 - 2,200oz.
It averaged 20 grams per tonne of gold mined, which will be processed during April 2022. The higher grades meant record levels of gold concentrate production in April, Scot Gold, said.
ScotGold reported that there were three more cuts to extract equating to an additional 6,000 tonnes of ore at around 17 grams per tonne.
It's sales value totalled £1.6m with shipments in the first quarter totalling 175 tonnes while concentrate leaving the mine was affected by the global logistics problem.
The mine is predicting the guidance for its second quarter production to be ranging from 2,600 to 3,200oz of gold.
Its low capital expenditure optimisation includes the addition of a thickener into the tailings circuit, nearing construction completion and is now focussing on transport and delivery to site to aim for delivery of up to 4,000 feed tonnes and achieve optimisation phase production run rate of around 16,000 – 17,500 ounces per annum run rate of gold by end quarter two.
It is planned that by the end of the quarter one of 2023 it will be achieving 23,500 ounces of gold per annum run rate of gold.
Scotgold Resources chief executive, Phil Day said: “While we achieved slightly lower gold production through the quarter as we developed through the lower grade areas in the mine so to access the areas of known high grade and set up “cut and fill” stopes, we have focussed and delivered on our Q1 2022 objectives.
"Objectives included developing the mine and maintaining the process plant feed throughput at Phase 1 rates, seeing us achieve a 10% increase on Q4 2021 mining and feed throughput to the process plant rate. These targets have been realised thanks to the hard-work and determination of our committed team here in Tyndrum.
“Importantly by adopting this “cut and fill” methodology to the short term mine plan we can better extract certain areas of the mine, obtain better indications of the geotechnical and resource characteristics in localised areas which allows for better stability and reliability of gold production going forward from the Cononish mine.”
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