3D Resources Ltd (ASX:DDD) has started the process of upgrading the capacity at its Adelong Gold Processing Plant in southern NSW as a part of its intention to restart gold production at the Adelong Goldfield Projects.
The company has appointed Bill Flannery through his company Timora Pty Ltd to provide Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Management (EPCM) services to complete the task.
3D Resources has also completed an extensive strategic review of all the aspects of operations at the project.
The review has identified that the plant is capable of being upgraded and reconfigured to operate at a significantly higher level of efficiency, which together with expanded and upgraded resources will be necessary to maximise profitability.
Plant upgrades now underway
3D Resources chairman Ian Hastings said: “The company is pleased with the progress since acquiring the Adelong Gold Project and this step to commence the upgrade of the plant is particularly significant.
“The company has always aimed to recommence production as soon as possible and upgrading and reconfiguring the plant is one of the most important steps in that process.
“The work and reviews to date have generated a substantial understanding of the project which will drive the plant upgrades now underway.”
Doubling plant capacity
Timora has recommended doubling the plant capacity to improve economies of scale during a single shift operation as well as providing the additional capacity for use as the increased resources are brought into the mining plan.
The EPCM contractor has also proposed improving efficiencies by looking at a pre-concentration stage to take advantage of the amenability of the Adelong ore to achieve improved recoveries at a coarser grind.
This pre-concentration stage aims to reduce milling but also assists in reducing the volumes of fines disposal that would require additional capacity to the planned tailings dam.
