Condor Gold engages firm for La India plant design

Condor Gold has selected Hanlon Engineering of Tucson, Arizona, a wholly-owned subsidiary of GR Engineering Services (GRES), as the lead engineer to develop a feasibility study-level design for a new processing plant around the company’s recently-acquired new SAG mill at La India Project it Nicaragua, it announced on Wednesday.

The AIM-traded firm said Hanlon would be responsible for the engineering designs, the capital cost, and the operating costs of the processing plant to a feasibility study-level of design.

It said Hanlon and GRES were “respected and experienced” independent engineering consultancy groups, with a recognised capability in the design and construction of gold plants within the Australasia and South America geographies.

The feasibility study design would develop costs to a 15% level of accuracy for the design, capital and operational expenditures of a fully-engineered processing plant package, which was usually a mandatory requirement for debt financing.

It said the design would 1incorporate the SAG mill Condor recently acquired, and would be designed to a nominal capacity of 2300 tonnes per day, but have the built-in capacity in several key areas to potentially upgrade throughput to 2,850 tonnes per day.

Hanlon was due to deliver the feasibility study-level engineering designs for a new processing plant within 12 weeks, the board confirmed.

It added that initial production was expected to range from 80,000 to 100,000 ounces of gold per annum, based on the nominal capacity of 2,300 tonnes per day.

Hanlon would be working in partnership with its parent company GRES, using its “extensive” experience with the design, construction and expansion of gold processing plants, the board said.

“I am delighted to appoint Hanlon Engineering to complete the feasibility study-level design for a new processing plant at La India Project,” said chairman and chief executive officer Mark Child.

“It's important to note that Hanlon Engineering was engaged by First Majestic Silver, the vendor of the SAG mill, to help design the new mill recently purchased by Condor.”

Child said its knowledge of the SAG mill and involvement with a number of similar process plant designs would help fast-track the delivery of the feasibility study design.

“A senior engineer from Hanlon is due on site this week.

“The feasibility-level designs for the processing plant are due to be delivered to Condor within 12 weeks.”