AuStar has produced its first gold concentrate from the Rose of Denmark (RoD) underground mine in Victoria.
The gold ingot, delivered only eight months after first diamond drilling last December, weighed approximately 220g.
AuStar Gold chief executive Tom de Vries said, “Processing of our first parcel of gold-bearing material from the Rose of Denmark gold mine is another significant achievement of AuStar Gold.
“This program demonstrates the benefits of our recent decision to acquire 100 per cent of this prospective mine, and the experience and capability of AuStar’s geological and mining team in exploring, analysing, mining and processing material from projects within its regional exploration portfolio in a safe, timely, compliant and cost effective manner.”
AuStar took over the Rose of Denmark gold mine through its acquisition of Morning Star Gold in August 2015.
Gold-bearing material from the mine was initially stockpiled at the site, before being processed in the company’s gravity processing plant.
RoD’s gold-bearing material has higher average throughput rates than the previously processed material from the Morning Star mine.
Due to gold mineralisation, it now contains a high-grade concentrate of sulphide and gold, which needs further refining to fully recover the gold.
The company plans to continue mining and processing material from the RoD mine using a mechanised mining system.
Should this phase turn out positive, AuStar Gold will resume operation with an expanded and deeper drilling program at the RoD mine.
The historic RoD gold mine is in the Walhalla to Woods Point goldfield, approximately 120km east of Melbourne.