Gold explorer Ariana Resources PLC said it has received its final operational permits for the Kiziltepe prospect in Balikesir Province, western Turkey, allowing it to plan effectively for additional trial mining there, and to scale up operations quickly.
Managing Director Kerim Sener said: "We are in discussions with several parties on the future development of the Kiziltepe project. The company is aiming to define the most value-added route for the project in the short to medium term."
Kiziltepe is now fully permitted for formal mining operations to commence.
Ariana said it has also secured certain surface rights which were announced in July 2007.
The company now holds a stockpile of approximately 2,000 tonnes of ore from the Arzu North vein which was mined by mechanical methods prior to receipt of the blasting permit. Approximately 25 tonnes of this ore was sent for trial processing at a treatment facility elsewhere in Turkey, from which very good recoveries of between 82.3 percent and 89.7 percent gold were achieved.
The Company is presently preparing a mining plan to extract 5,000 tonnes of ore from the Arzu South vein by mechanical methods, assisted by blasting where appropriate. The intention is that this ore will be utilised for further trial processing in due course, Ariana added.