REG - Hummingbird Res. - Kouroussa Gold Mine Commissioning Begins

Hummingbird ResourcesAnnouncement

02/05/2023 07:00

For best results when printing this announcement, please click on link below:
http://newsfile.refinitiv.com/getnewsfile/v1/story?guid=urn:newsml:reuters.com:20230502:nRSB9823Xa&default-theme=true

RNS Number : 9823X  Hummingbird Resources PLC  02 May 2023

Hummingbird Resources plc / Ticker: HUM / Index: AIM / Sector: Mining

 

2 May 2023

Hummingbird Resources plc

("Hummingbird" or the "Company")

Kouroussa Gold Mine Commissioning Begins

Hummingbird Resources plc ("Hummingbird" or the "Company") (AIM: HUM) is
pleased to announce that the Kouroussa Gold Mine processing plant has reached
the practical completion stage, and has entered the commissioning phase
towards achieving first gold pour this quarter, Q2 2023.

 

The Kouroussa Gold mine in Guinea is a high grade, over 4 grammes per tonne
("g/t"), open pit operation, and is the Company's second operating gold asset
in West Africa.

Key highlights:

·      Practical completion on priority systems at the Kouroussa
processing plant has now been achieved, allowing the commissioning phase to
begin.

·      Pre-operational and cold commissioning is currently underway and,
once completed, will move to the hot commissioning phase, followed by the
first gold pour this quarter, Q2 2023.

·      Soutex ("Soutex"), Kouroussa's engineering contractor, along with
specialist Hummingbird commissioning personnel, are working together on site
to coordinate the commissioning phase.

·      Sufficient ore feed tonnes are on the ROM pad for commissioning,
with mining activities accelerating to provide increased ore feed tonnes on
the ROM pad for first gold pour followed by name plate production.

·      Hydrotesting completed on the pre-leach, CIL, raw water, and
reagent tanks, with mechanical equipment pre-operational testing also in
progress.

·      Cold commissioning commenced on priority water and air services
systems.

·      OEM vendors on site for dry and wet plant equipment
commissioning.

Dan Betts, CEO of Hummingbird, commented:

"Kouroussa is on track to pour first gold within the current quarter, and the
start of commissioning of the processing plant is a significant step forward
in achieving this objective. As we begin the commissioning phase to bring
Kouroussa online, we remain heavily focussed on safety at this busy time.
Additionally, operational readiness and the transition to daily operations is
a key part of this phase as we look not just to first gold, but to ramping up
production to name plate capacity, moving the Company to being a
+200,000-ounce, multi-asset, multi-jurisdiction gold producer."

 

Further practical completion and commissioning phase updates

Process plant hydrotesting:

·      The Pre-leach, CIL, Detox and Raw water tanks were filled from
the raw water supply lines.

·      The reagents mixing tanks were hydrotested by pumping water from
the raw water tank into the subsequent reagent mixing tanks.

·      The reagents holding tanks were filled with water using the
reagent transfer pumps.

 

Electrical commissioning:

·      Permanent power units have been installed and are being used to
energise the medium voltage ("MV") substation.

·      Final quality assurance and control checks are being performed on
the low voltage substations, which are fed power from the MV substation.

·      Design engineer contractors are on site to assist with the
commissioning phase.

SAG mill commissioning:

·      NCP International Ltd (international mill specialists)
commissioning team, comprising of mechanical specialists, an instrument
technician and program logic control engineers, are on site to assist with the
commissioning phase.

·      The SAG mill mechanical and piping installations are practically
complete.

·      The SAG mill lubrication units are being filled with lubricants
and instrument testing has commenced.

·      The SAG mill variable speed drive ("VSD") has been configured.

Ore on the ROM pad for commissioning and increasing for first gold pour:

·      Sufficient ore feed tones on the ROM pad for commissioning.

·      Overall mining activities by Kouroussa's contract miner, Corica
Mining Services, are ramping up to ensure sufficient ore feed on the ROM pad
for first gold pour and then into name plate production.

Operational readiness program updates:

·      Permanent mine camp completed, allowing 140 work personnel to be
accommodated on site.

·      Permanent power units installed and operational at site for the
commissioning phase, with additional units being installed ready for first
gold pour and the production ramp up phase.

·      Security accommodation complete, with increasing security
personnel now arriving on site, including security fencing being installed as
a priority at the tailing storage facility, permanent mine camp, ROM pad, and
around the processing plant.

·      Increasing processing plant inventory supplies arriving on site
including: reagents, explosives for pit blasting, lubricants, grinding media,
safety equipment and spares.

·      Final key processing plant, maintenance, geology and
administrative personnel are currently being recruited.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Processing plant hydrotesting.

 

 

Electrical substation commissioning.

 

 

SAG mill commissioning.

 

 

Ore on the ROM pad for commissioning and increasing for first gold pour and
beyond.

 

 

 

**ENDS**

Notes to Editors:

Hummingbird Resources plc (AIM: HUM) is a leading multi-asset,
multi-jurisdiction gold producing Company, member of the World Gold Council
and founding member of Single Mine Origin (www.singlemineorigin.com). The
Company currently has two core gold projects, the operational Yanfolila Gold
Mine in Mali, and the Kouroussa Gold Mine in Guinea, which will more than
double current gold production when in production, scheduled for first gold
pour the end of Q2 2023. Further, the Company has a controlling interest in
the Dugbe Gold Project in Liberia that is being developed by joint venture
partners, Pasofino Gold Limited. The final feasibility results on Dugbe
showcase 2.76Moz in Reserves and strong economics such as a 3.5-year capex
payback period once in production, and a 14-year life of mine at a low AISC
profile. Our vision is to continue to grow our asset base, producing
profitable ounces, while central to all we do being our Environmental, Social
& Governance ("ESG") policies and practices.

 

For further information, please visit hummingbirdresources.co.uk
(https://www.hummingbirdresources.co.uk/)  or contact:

 

 

 Daniel Betts, CEO       Hummingbird Resources plc  Tel: +44 (0) 20 7409 6660

 Thomas Hill, FD

 Edward Montgomery, CD
 James Spinney           Strand Hanson Limited      Tel: +44 (0) 20 7409 3494

 Ritchie Balmer          Nominated Adviser
 James Asensio           Canaccord Genuity Limited  Tel: +44 (0) 20 7523 8000

 Gordon Hamilton         Broker
 Bobby Morse             Buchanan                   Tel:  +44 (0) 20 7466 5000

 Oonagh Reidy            Financial PR/IR            Email: HUM@buchanan.uk.com (mailto:HUM@buchanan.uk.com)

 George Cleary

 

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact
rns@lseg.com (mailto:rns@lseg.com)
 or visit
www.rns.com (http://www.rns.com/)
.

RNS may use your IP address to confirm compliance with the terms and conditions, to analyse how you engage with the information contained in this communication, and to share such analysis on an anonymised basis with others as part of our commercial services. For further information about how RNS and the London Stock Exchange use the personal data you provide us, please see our
Privacy Policy (https://www.lseg.com/privacy-and-cookie-policy)
.   END  MSCBIGDUXBGDGXB