The blast on April 30 covered a mainly barren zone to prepare access to 10m benches in the mine, closer to the run-of-mine pad and crusher plant.

 

W Resources chairman Michael Masterman said the blast kickstarted hard-rock mining operations after earlier preparation in free-dig material.

 

"The explosive blast was completed successfully with the highest level of safety and supervision. 

 

"The ore will be mined at low-cost using a truck-and-shovel operation and transported via the newly constructed ramp to the new 350-tonne-per-hour crusher plant where it will be crushed and then fed to the newly constructed jig-and-mill plant as part of the commissioning process," he said.

 

W said its immediate priority at La Parrilla was to complete commissioning of the jig-and-mill plant, a process it started in mid-April, while at the same time finishing the concentrator plant.