Gold exploration and mining company Akobo Minerals has produced the first gold bar from its Segele mine, in Ethiopia.
The company says this significant milestone marks the beginning of gold production as it moves forward with its operational plans.
The 1.4 kg gold bar was smelted from about 170 t of lower-grade material collected and processed from development tunnels, located on the edge of the Segele orebody. This initial batch yielded an average grade of 8 g/t.
While the results are very promising, the company says it is too early to provide a definitive recovery rate or the gold purity grade, as the process is still in its early stages. It anticipates mining higher-grade ore once stoping activities begin.
The tailings generated from this initial processing phase will be stored and later reprocessed through carbon-in-leach tanks once these are fully operational.
The company says this additional step will allow it to maximise recovery and ensure maximum extraction of gold from its mineral resources.
“Next, we will continue blasting and stockpiling material from the Segele mine, followed by further production batches. As production progresses, we expect both an increase in the gold content from the mine and improved recovery rates from the processing plant.
“This achievement brings us closer to our goal of establishing Akobo Minerals as a leading gold producer in the region. We look forward to providing further updates as production continues to ramp up,” says Akobo.