Aurum Mining plc (AIM: AUR), the company formed to acquire gold and other mineral extraction projects in the Former Soviet Union (FSU), is pleased to announce that the executive summary of the recently completed feasibility study for the proposed mine at Andash Zone 1 in the Kyrgyz Republic is now available on the Company's website along with key financial data. The full study will be posted on the Company's website in due course.
The feasibility study confirms a proven and probable reserve at Andash Zone 1 of more than 1.2 million ozs of gold and gold equivalent. It also confirms that the open-cast Andash operation will combine low costs with high production rates.
The study, the completion of which was announced on 19 December 2006, was compiled by Wardell Armstrong International (WAI), a leading UK mining consultant with particular expertise in the FSU, in association with engineering consultants GMB and ground engineering and environmental services group Golder Associates.
Introduction
Wardell Armstrong International (WAI) was commissioned by Aurum Mining plc (Aurum) to provide a Feasibility Study for the development of a conventional open pit mining operation at Andash which is situated in the Talus Valley in northern Kyrgyzstan. Ore treatment will be by flotation with a surface thickened tailings storage facility. Sale of concentrate will be to an international smelter.
Much of the background work for this study comes from the results of a positive local feasibility study undertaken by Andash Mining (the Kyrgyz registered trading arm of Aurum Mining), which was completed earlier in 2006 and presented to the Kyrgyz authorities. However, certain aspects of this study are still on-going including additional geotechnical works over the site of the proposed tailings facility and completion of the environmental works.
For this document, a number of sub-contractors have been utilised to provide data on various aspects of the study:
Golder Associates - paste testwork and risk assessment of the EcoService TMF design;
GBM - plant design
Wardell Armstrong - geotechnical and hydrological appraisals; and
Wolfgang Treder - market study.
WAI has undertaken the other sections of the study including geology and mineralisation, resources, mining, process testwork, environment, costs and financial analysis, as well as being responsible for the overall study.
The Andash deposit was first discovered in 1962 and extensively explored during the 1970's and 80's by Soviet geologists and later by Ala-Too Gold Company, a subsidiary of Commonwealth and British Minerals, in 1996-1997. Exploration work identified three main mineralized zones of which Zone 1 contains the majority of the resource. In addition, geochemical and geophysical studies outlined a number of other potential targets.
Aurum acquired the Andash property in 2004, and since then has undertaken an aggressive exploration programme, including an extensive infill drill programme on Zone 1 to the extent where the majority of the resource is in Measured and Indicated category.
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