The sulphide recovery facility, with civil works 50% completed, is crucial to Asante’s ambitious plan to increase gold production at Bibiani to over 250,000 ounces per year. The aim for a cumulative output is to reach 1.2 million ounces of gold over the next five years, Asante said.
When the sulphide recovery plant is completed, the company expects to be producing 20,000 ounces of gold per month at Bibiani, in line with tits long-term plan for the mine.
Separately, Asante also said the Bibiani-Goaso highway had been rerouted following the recent completion of two detour roads. This would allow for the further development of the open pit and the underground portion of the Bibiani mine.
The Vancouver-based company has a high-quality portfolio of projects and mines in Ghana, where it operates Bibiani and Chirano mines and continues with detailed technical studies at its Kubi gold project.
Ghana reclaimed in 2022 its status as Africa’s top gold miner, thanks to 32% surge in production expected in 2022. Gold output rose to 3.7 million ounces in 2022 from 2.8 million ounces the previous year, when South Africa took the crown as the continent’s top bullion producer.