Dazzling discovery of rich gold vein at New Consort
BARBERTON - Pan African Resources (PAR) announced the discovery of a rich vein of gold in certain areas at the New Consort Mine near town last week. What makes the find all the more extraordinary is that preliminary chip samples show the local grades exceed 300 grams per ton of crushed ore, with a density of about 25 grams per ton.
This is twice what would be considered high quality ore under normal circumstances. The area in which the rich deposits were found, had previously been deemed difficult to mine, resulting in the cessation of mining operations in the 1990s. New Consort Mine has been in operation since 1928 and had been trying to access the ore body since 2019.
PAR said in a statement, “The ore body was intersected in early May, following delays due to Covid-19 disruptions, and initial sampling revealed grades in certain areas in excess of 300 grams per ton, containing large amounts of visible gold.
“Production from this resource block at the New Consort Mine is expected to reduce the mine’s all-in sustained costs and ensure the operation’s future profitability. The group’s on-site exploration team has identified a number of additional potential targets using advanced exploration techniques, which will be further explored and developed, if viable, in the next year.”
According to the PAR report, development into the first target block on 42 level of the mine was completed in June, with “highly prospective grades recovered during the last month”.
PAR CEO, Cobus Loots, said, “Pan African has demonstrated the resilience of its operations with an improved performance for the year, especially when taking into account the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The flexibility inherent in our operations confirms the quality of these mines and their ability to withstand short-term disruptions and still deliver on our targets.”
He continued to say that, while the group expected a lengthy battle with the virus, it pledged to do its part in alleviating the effects.
“Pan African will continue to rigorously implement preventative and precautionary measures at its operations to ensure the health and well-being of its employees.
“We will respond rapidly and in a considerate manner where occurrences of Covid-19 are identified. We will also continue our relief efforts to assist the most vulnerable in our areas of operation,” Loots concluded.