Blackthorn Resources extracts first ore at Perkoa Zinc Project, Burkina Faso

Tuesday, December 13, 2011 by Christine Feary

Blackthorn Resources (ASX: BTR) has extracted the first parcel of mineralised ore from underground workings at the Perkoa Zinc Project in Burkina Faso.

The Perkoa project is owned in a joint venture arrangement between Glencore International (LON: GLEN), with a 50.1% interest, and Blackthorn, with a 39.9% interest. The remaining 10% is held by the government of Burkina Faso.

The ore zone at Perkoa was intersected by a development cross-cut driven from the main decline, with an estimated 500 tonnes of mineralised material extracted.

Work at Perkoa restarted in December 2010, with mine development progressing well ever since.

Construction has been scaled up significantly throughout 2011, with the mobilisation of additional personnel, plant and machinery.

Production is on track to begin by the latter half of 2012.

Blackthorn managing director Scott Lowe said the production of first ore from Perkoa was another major milestone to be completed at the project.

“The project is making good progress in accordance with expectations,” Lowe said.

“The Perkoa Project remains an important part of the company’s portfolio and we are also very excited by the proposal to add value to the current project through the changes that Glencore has proposed relating to the extraction of silver and lead, increased throughput and open-cut mining.”

Joint venture partner Glencore has proposed an expansion to the project, with Blackthorn expected to make a final decision on whether to participate in the coming weeks.

Blackthorn has already granted conditional approval for investment in the expansion, which includes an increase in processing plant throughput, the ability to extract a separate silver lead concentrate from the production stream and the addition of open cut mining to complement the underground operation.

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