higginsville plant kicks off

From Mining News

Higginsville plant kicks off

Charlotte Dudley
Monday, 12 May 2008

AVOCA Resources has begun commissioning of its Higginsville treatment plant in Western Australia’s goldfields region.

While ore commissioning at the carbon-in-leach treatment plant is not expected to kick off until next week, Avoca today announced the commissioning of the plant’s crushing circuit, the first step in the company’s Higginsville treatment plans.

The new 1 million tonne per annum plant will be used to treat ore from Avoca’s nearby Trident resource.

Before reaching the ore processing phase, however, the plant must successfully complete a commissioning program which involves systematic tests to assess the safe operation and application of all plant components.

With the Higginsville facility 95% ready, Avoca said the plant was on schedule for construction and design completion by early next month and full operational commissioning by the end of June.

The plant is expected to begin handling high-grade feed by early July.

Avoca is targeting a production rate at Trident of 160,000-190,000oz per annum.

“It’s been very successful,” Avoca operations manager Tony James told MiningNews.net.

“We’ve had a plan and we’ve been working to this plan over a period of time now and it’s coming together.”

Avoca shares gained 1c to $2.46 before slipping back to trade at $2.45.