The project’s owner Bardoc Gold aims to achieve first gold pour in Q4 2022
Construction on the Bardoc gold project is likely to begin in Q4 2021. (Credit: Khusen Rustamov from Pixabay)
Australian gold company Bardoc Gold has announced that the development of its 100% owned Bardoc gold project in Western Australia, would require an investment of around AUD177m ($135m).
The company estimates to make average annual gold sales of 135,760 ounces over 8.2 years of mill production.
As per the definitive feasibility study (DFS) published by the company, a 10-year mining operation is targeted to begin in the fourth quarter of 2022 for delivering life-of-mine (LOM) production of 1.1 million ounces (Moz) of contained gold.
The peak annual gold production from the project is estimated to be 140,000ozpa for six years.
The Bardoc gold project will involve the development of an independent mining and processing operation, with a 2.1 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) carbon-in-leach (CIL) plant and flotation circuit to be built on site.
Bardoc Gold expects to make a final investment decision (FID) on the project in the third quarter of this year. Construction is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2021.
The company expects to pour first gold from the project in Q4 2022.
The project, which is spread over an area of 250km2, has a mineral resource estimate of 3.07Moz of gold. It is underpinned by a binding off-take agreement signed in December 2020 with minerals trader MRI Trading.
Bardoc Gold CEO Robert Ryan said: “The strong DFS outcomes show that the Bardoc Gold Project is without question one of the best undeveloped gold projects in Australia, with the potential to deliver strong production and cash-flows and compelling financial returns over a long period of time from a brand new fully-integrated mining and processing operation located right on the doorstep of Kalgoorlie.
“At the heart of the DFS is a 28% per cent increase in Ore Reserves to over 1 million ounces – a fantastic result which reflects the highly effective drilling programs conducted over the past 12 months and the excellent technical work completed on our mining and processing schedules to optimise the project to a very high level.”
The Bardoc gold project is located in the Eastern Goldfields region, 40km north of Kalgoorlie.
It will involve development of the Aphrodite, Zoroastrian, Excelsior, Mulwarrie, and Bulletin South gold deposits along with other smaller deposits.