Deflector South West access, development and production is expected to support higher-margin operation at the CIP circuit at the Deflector processing plant
Silver Lake Resources has approved Deflector South West access, development and production. (Credit: PollyDot from Pixabay)
Silver Lake Resources is moving ahead with the development of the Deflector South West as part of the life extension plan for its Deflector gold-copper project in Western Australia.
Located in the southern Murchison region of Western Australia, the Deflector project produced its first gold in May 2016.
The firm has approved the Deflector South West access, development and production, which is expected to support a longer life and a higher margin operation at the carbon-in-pulp (CIP) circuit at the Deflector processing plant.
The Deflector project’s ore is located in a series of structurally controlled lodes. The Deflector South West lodes, which host a higher quality gold and copper tenor, account for 35% of the Deflector ore reserve and 30% of its mineral resource.
In a press statement, Silver Lake Resources said: “Silver Lake will significantly reduce ore drive profiles within the South West lodes when compared with past and existing practices adopted within the established Deflector mine.
“Smaller drive profiles reduce waste dilution, increase grades of ore won from development and liberates mill capacity which captures the full value of the higher grade feed and increase in gold recovery following the addition of the CIP circuit to the Deflector processing plant.”
Surface works to prepare the decline access will start in October
Surface works to prepare the decline access are planned to commence next month and the development is expected commence by the end of the second quarter of the financial year 2021.
Ore development from the upper levels of the South West lodes is expected to contribute to the plant feed in the first quarter of the 2022 financial year.
The company’s priority targets for exploration are defining further extensions to the South West lodes and potential Deflector repeats within the prospective untested basalt host stratigraphy.
Last year, Silver Lake Resources announced plans to acquire EganStreet Resources for $52m.