Production Update
October 12 2011 - 1:00AM
UK Regulatory
TIDMHMB
Hambledon Mining Plc
("Hambledon" or "the Company")
Activities Report for the Quarter Ended 30 September 2011
Hambledon Mining plc (AIM: HMB), the Kazakhstan gold mining and
development company, today provides its operational report for the
three months from 1 July to 30 September 2011. A copy of this
report will be available on the Company's website,
www.hambledon-mining.com
Production figures for the three months from 1 July - 30
September 2011:
July August September Total
Milled tonnes (dry) 77,632 69,591 69,268 216,491
Gold grade (g/t) 0.73 1.20 1.25 1.05
Contained gold (gms) 56,593 83,230 86,618 226,441
Contained gold (oz) 1,819 2,675 2,784 7,278
Gold recovery % 82.24 84.01 82.01 82.75
Recovered gold (oz) 1,496 2,247 2,283 6,026
Recovered silver (oz) 3,257 4,135 3,495 10,887
OPEN PIT AND PROCESSING OPERATIONS
The extraction of excess open pit waste material is nearing
completion. During the quarter ended 30 September 2011, the
Sekisovskoye mining operation averaged 450,000t of material
movement each month, totalling 1.368Mt. This increase of 35%,
compares with the 1.015Mt excavated in Q3 2010. Substantial
improvements to the operations have been achieved over the past six
months and once the excessive waste quantities have been removed,
the mining operations at Sekisovskoye will be well placed for
2012.
The focus on waste extraction during July meant that less ore
was mined. As a result, a significant proportion of ore from the
low grade stockpile was treated, resulting in the exceptionally low
overall gold grade in that month. In August and September, more
regular mining activities resumed so that less ore from the low
grade stockpile was treated, resulting in an improved grade of feed
to the process plant.
The process plant treated 216,491 tonnes of material and
produced a total of 6,026 ounces of gold and 10,887 ounces of
silver.
UNDERGROUND
The decline access to the underground deposit advanced according
to plan during the quarter with no safety incidents. The
development of the underground project remains on target for
extraction commencing in Q4 2011. Two separate underground tunnels
were completed to provide drill chamber access for the ore
zones.
DRILLING
As part of Hambledon's 25,000m drill programme, the results from
some forty-seven holes have been announced, totalling approximately
8,000 metres. The drill results released to date have been above
expectations. There has been an expansion of resources from all ore
zones, notably from Ore Body 11 which will be the first zone to be
mined. The next set of drill results will be announced shortly.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Construction of tailings dam No. 3 is complete and the dam has
been commissioned. Construction of tailings dam No. 4 has commenced
with topsoil removal complete, clay removal 25% complete and
construction of the rock embankment 12% complete.
Open pit waste is being used to construct the tailings dam No. 4
embankment which will reduce mining operating costs, minimise land
disturbance and decrease the long term rehabilitation liability of
the business. The design of this impoundment raise has been
completed in accordance with the revised waste management strategy.
This will eliminate the need for ongoing construction once tailings
dam No.4 and the tailings dam complex raise is complete.
The expansion of the engineering workshops is well advanced with
completion scheduled for December 2011.
Tim Daffern, Chief Executive Officer of Hambledon, commented
today: "The Q3 results mark a pleasing return to more regular
operating performance levels.We are continually striving to enhance
the efficiency of our business. The decision to advance the removal
of open pit material in order to optimise the performance of the
open pit is essentially complete, with a commensurate reduction in
operating costs per ounce in quarter three.Over the next quarter,
we look forward to updating shareholders with further results from
our underground drill campaign and progress of the main transport
decline and preparatory works associated with extraction of ores
from the underground ore bodies."
Enquiries;
HAMBLEDON MINING: Telephone +44 (0)207 233 1462Charles Zorab
FAIRFAX I.S. PLC (NOMAD AND BROKER): Telephone +44 (0)207 598
5368Ewan Leggat/Katy Birkin
TAVISTOCK COMMUNICATIONS: Telephone +44 (0)207 920 3150Ed
Portman/Jos Simson
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