Centamin reports strong Q2 gold production from Sukari

Gold Miner Centamin said second quarter production from its Sukari operation in Egypt increased 12% to 140,306 ounces on the previous quarter and 30% year-on-year.

Total first half gold production was 265,574 ounces, the company added.

Centamin said quarterly throughput at the process plant was 2,929kt, a 2% increase on the previous quarter. Annualised throughput exceeded its base case target rate of 11 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa).

Open pit total material movement (ore + waste) decreased 1% on the previous quarter to 15,080kt. Open pit ore production increased by 42% to 3,425kt at an average mined grade of 0.90g/t of gold. The average head grade to the plant from the open pit was 0.99g/t. The run of mine ore stockpile balance increased by 521kt to 1,012kt at the end of the period.

The underground operation delivered 256kt of ore, a 9% reduction on the previous quarter, at an average mined grade of 9.3g/t. Productivity remained above our forecast rate of 1 million tonnes per annum at 6g/t. Ore from stoping was 143kt at 8.5g/t, comparable with the previous quarter (145kt at 9.2g/t). Ore from development was 113kt at 10.3g/t.