PanTerra Gold Ltd. confirmed its Las Lagunas project in the Dominican Republic has poured its first gold/silver doré. Explaining the significance, Executive Chairman Brian Johnson said this was a world first in the production of precious metals from refractory ores using the Albion oxidation process. It is anticipated the first shipment of doré to the Swiss refiners will occur mid-August month, and thereafter at weekly intervals.
The Las Lagunas plant is currently processing high grade refractory tailings from the Pueblo Viejo mine at a rate of 100 mt/h. Minor issues with the electrowinning cells have been resolved. The company plans to make modifications to the oxygen lances and the agitator blades within the Albion tank to optimize oxidation.
The project has proved to be difficult from both a technical and corporate perspective, Johnson said, but now it is in production and the immediate objective was to progressively increase gold and silver recoveries to the levels demonstrated in early pilot plant test work. Head grades of feed to the process plant are in line with the JORC indicated resource grades of 3.8 grams per metric ton (g/mt) gold and 38.6 g/mt silver.
