Red 5 (ASX: RED) has announced that it has completed the first gold pour at its 100%-owned King of the Hills (KOTH) Gold Project in Western Australia.
The maiden gold pour, completed Sunday 5th June 2022, was successful in producing two gold doré bars weighing in at 1,588 ounces, and comes following the recent commissioning of gravity and elution circuits.
Commenting on the update, Red 5 Managing Director, Mark Williams, said: “We can all be proud of this achievement. It marks the beginning of a new era for Red 5, with the new 4.7Mtpa King of the Hills processing plant set to become a highly efficient production hub.
There are promising signs regarding future throughput potential and with two months of feed stocks ready for processing and mining now well established, we have a strong platform to build upon.
“There are promising signs regarding future throughput potential and with two months of feed stocks ready for processing and mining now well established”
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has assisted us in getting to first gold within the scheduled timeframe, amid the backdrop of a very challenging environment.”
The company also notes that the gyratory crushing circuit has utilised a combination of oxide and fresh material across 40 days, and has achieved throughput rates exceeding 1,600 tonnes per hour.
The grinding circuit and wet plant have allowed the SAG mill to achieve a throughput rate of 600 tonnes per hour at moderate mill load and power draw.
In addition, the team at Red 5 report that they are in place to achieve an increase to the KOTH processing plant’s full capacity, with 800,000 tonnes, equal to two months of feed stock on the ROM pad.
The King of the Hills underground mine deposit is located 28km north of the township of Leonora and 80km south of the company’s Darlot Gold Mine within the Eastern Goldfields region of Western Australia, comprising a combined exploration land package of 215km² with 100% of all tenements owned by Red 5.
Mining at the project has been conducted through a combination of bulk underground stoping and airleg mining of selected high-grade gold viens, with the produced gold being trucked from KOTH to the company’s nearby Darlot Processing Plant.
The KOTH development project currently boasts a 2.4Moz Ore reserve, as well as an Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource of 4.12Moz, with an expected 16-year life-of-mine.
Red 5 reports that it will move forward with a focus to increase mill production rate and increase the processing plant to full capacity.
Images: Red 5 Limited
