News / National
London firm targets bulk-mining in Zimbabwe
18 May 2024 at 06:06hrs | Views
Kavango Resources, a metal exploration company listed on the London Stock Exchange, is focusing on consolidating bulk-mining efforts to boost gold production in Zimbabwe, according to a report by NewsDay Business.
The company has initiated operations at its Hillside gold project in Matabeleland South province, revealing that the nation's potential for bulk-mining remains largely untapped due to the requirement of open-pit mining of extensive ore bodies for economic viability.
"Kavango has strategically consolidated land packages around several historic high-grade gold mines in the Matabeleland region of Zimbabwe," the mining firm stated in response to the release of assay results for its Hillside project.
"The company's objective is to explore their broader, underdeveloped potential for bulk-mining. Bulk-mining involves extracting large-scale near-surface gold from expansive open-pit mines. This method allows for economically feasible gold extraction from lower-grade material compared to high-grade underground mining."
Open-pit mining has become the predominant mining style in Western Australia and has contributed significantly to Australia's rise as the world's leading gold producer in recent years.
The company believes that Zimbabwe's geological characteristics are akin to those of Western Australia, given the country's rich history of high-grade gold mining in its greenstone belts.
However, it noted that Zimbabwe's capacity to host numerous large-scale, bulk-minable gold deposits remains largely untapped, presenting a substantial economic opportunity for the nation.
Kavango highlighted that many of Zimbabwe's historic high-grade mines and their surrounding areas are fragmented into small claims held by different owners.
As part of its efforts to consolidate claims into economically viable packages for bulk mining, the company stated that it is employing modern exploration and drilling techniques to evaluate the potential for open-pit mining, thus modernizing Zimbabwe's gold mining sector.
"Kavango initiated an exploration and drilling program across its three existing projects late last year, commencing with its Hillside project. Initial work at Hillside has yielded results surpassing the company's expectations, indicating strong evidence of the project's potential for open-pit mining," it stated.
"Last month, Kavango announced that assays from drilling at Hillside Prospects 2 and 4 had identified extensive areas of significant gold at shallow depths."
The company's future plans at Hillside involve testing the gold-bearing potential of interpreted shears at Prospects two and three through a series of drill holes to assess the possibility of a bulk-minable gold deposit along the entire shear zone at both prospects.
Additionally, Kavango is awaiting assay results from Hillside Prospects 1 and 4. It is also conducting drilling activities at its Nara project to investigate a 200-meter wide by five-kilometer long strike corridor, interpreted as a potential shear zone. Further drilling is planned at the Leopard project.
The company has initiated operations at its Hillside gold project in Matabeleland South province, revealing that the nation's potential for bulk-mining remains largely untapped due to the requirement of open-pit mining of extensive ore bodies for economic viability.
"Kavango has strategically consolidated land packages around several historic high-grade gold mines in the Matabeleland region of Zimbabwe," the mining firm stated in response to the release of assay results for its Hillside project.
"The company's objective is to explore their broader, underdeveloped potential for bulk-mining. Bulk-mining involves extracting large-scale near-surface gold from expansive open-pit mines. This method allows for economically feasible gold extraction from lower-grade material compared to high-grade underground mining."
Open-pit mining has become the predominant mining style in Western Australia and has contributed significantly to Australia's rise as the world's leading gold producer in recent years.
The company believes that Zimbabwe's geological characteristics are akin to those of Western Australia, given the country's rich history of high-grade gold mining in its greenstone belts.
However, it noted that Zimbabwe's capacity to host numerous large-scale, bulk-minable gold deposits remains largely untapped, presenting a substantial economic opportunity for the nation.
Kavango highlighted that many of Zimbabwe's historic high-grade mines and their surrounding areas are fragmented into small claims held by different owners.
As part of its efforts to consolidate claims into economically viable packages for bulk mining, the company stated that it is employing modern exploration and drilling techniques to evaluate the potential for open-pit mining, thus modernizing Zimbabwe's gold mining sector.
"Kavango initiated an exploration and drilling program across its three existing projects late last year, commencing with its Hillside project. Initial work at Hillside has yielded results surpassing the company's expectations, indicating strong evidence of the project's potential for open-pit mining," it stated.
"Last month, Kavango announced that assays from drilling at Hillside Prospects 2 and 4 had identified extensive areas of significant gold at shallow depths."
The company's future plans at Hillside involve testing the gold-bearing potential of interpreted shears at Prospects two and three through a series of drill holes to assess the possibility of a bulk-minable gold deposit along the entire shear zone at both prospects.
Additionally, Kavango is awaiting assay results from Hillside Prospects 1 and 4. It is also conducting drilling activities at its Nara project to investigate a 200-meter wide by five-kilometer long strike corridor, interpreted as a potential shear zone. Further drilling is planned at the Leopard project.
Source - newsday
