The Singida gold project in central Tanzania has received a favorable report on building progress. According to Shanta Gold, construction works are currently 45% complete. Briefing on the different project milestones, Eric Zurrin, Singida CEO said that following the issuance of permits in 2021, work on a tailings storage facility and waste rock disposal began and is currently underway.
He also said that the first Gold Tree open-pit explosion took place in October 2021 and that a recently completed Phase 1 grade control drilling program at the Gold Tree deposit yielded a better-than-5% match to the reserve model, reducing the initial 12-month production plan risk after commissioning.
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According to the CEO, the projects’ ore stockpiling is still ongoing while key infrastructure, such as bulk electricity, water, buildings, and fencing, has been either finished or advancing as planned. After completing the design and production, the Metso-built crusher circuit was successfully delivered in December 2021. All machinery and steel have arrived on-site, and assembly will begin in March this year.
NCP has completed manufacturing the grinding and gravity circuit mill in South Africa and the shipment to the site is scheduled for March, with installation scheduled for May.
Expectations for the Singida Gold Project
The first Singida Gold production is expected in the first quarter of next year. Owing to the project, Shanta will be transformed from a single asset gold producer to a diversified gold miner producing 100 000 oz/y, with two separate operations generating considerable cash flow.
The project will also offer significant upside potential because of its placement within a greenstone deposit, which makes it ideally suited to additional exploratory expansion. Singida gold project will not only de-risk the firm financially and operationally, but it will also add significant time to the company’s existence in Tanzania.
