Pacgold Advances White Dam Gold Project with New Crusher Commissioning
Pacgold Limited has achieved a significant milestone at its White Dam project in South Australia, commissioning a new Metso screen and Nordberg HP300 cone crusher to initiate a re-crush campaign on the heap leach pad. This development aims to enhance gold recovery from previously processed material, targeting near-term cash flow and accelerated production.
Drilling Results Show Promising Gold and Copper Intercepts
Resource drilling at the Vertigo pit, part of the White Dam project located 80km east of Broken Hill, is now 95 per cent complete. The latest assays align with and, in some areas, exceed the company's 2020 resource block model, indicating potential additional tonnes for the next mineral resource estimate.
Notable intercepts include a 21-metre section at 1.4 grams per tonne (g/t) gold and 0.32 per cent copper from 44m depth, featuring high-grade zones of 3 to 4g/t gold. Other holes delivered strong results, such as 4m at 3g/t gold and 0.11 per cent copper from 33m, and 11m at 1.0g/t gold and 0.03 per cent copper from 13m.
To date, 159 holes have been drilled at Vertigo, totaling 9974 metres. In parallel, Pacgold has completed the first phase of sonic drilling across the heap leach pad, with assays and metallurgical results pending.
Re-Crush Campaign Targets Enhanced Gold Recovery
The newly commissioned crushing circuit, capable of processing 350 tonnes per hour, will reduce material to a size between 4mm and 6mm. This re-crush strategy focuses on extracting residual gold from coarse, previously leached ore, aiming to boost production efficiency.
Matthew Boyes, Pacgold's managing director, emphasized the importance of the next 8-12 weeks, as the company gains access to freshly re-crushed material and operates the refurbished plant at full capacity for the first time since the mine's closure in 2017.
The crew is undergoing training to achieve optimal throughput rates by mid-April, initially leaching 50,000-tonne parcels before scaling up to 100,000-tonne cells later in the year.
Future Exploration Plans and Market Outlook
Pacgold plans to restart exploration drilling at the nearby Hannaford pit in mid-April, followed by moving the rig to the White Dam North area in June, subject to permitting. These efforts position White Dam as a key driver for the company's near-term cash flow.
With the crusher operational and re-crushed material ready for leaching, the coming months are expected to demonstrate the plant's performance and potential, highlighting Pacgold's progress in South Australia's mining sector.
