Galane Gold Ltd has placed the material orders required for the processing plant upgrade according to its plan to recommence production at the historic Galaxy mine by April 2019, located 6 km west of Barberton in the Mpumalanga province in South Africa. Galane has already refurbished the existing 15,000 t/mth processing plant at Galaxy and the upgrade will increase the plant capacity to 30,000 t/mth.

The company advises that it is not basing its decision to expand the throughput capacity of the Galaxy mine’s processing plant to 30,000 t/mth on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability of production at such levels and as a result there is increased uncertainty. “These risks, among others, include areas that are analysed in more detail in a feasibility study, such as applying economic analysis to resources and reserves and environmental and community impacts.”

The processing plant upgrade allows for the refurbishment of the Galaxy crushing plant and includes the installation of a new jaw and cone crusher from China’s NMS based in Nanchang, Jiangxi, which will be able to crush up to 90 t/h. This will provide for ample maintenance time, even at maximum mill throughput, and also accommodate future expansion. The consistency of the mineralised feed to the plant will be improved by the installation of an apron feeder under the ROM bin.

Initially the existing mill and a single stream flotation will be used to operate up to 15,000 t/mth while the new 3.6 m x 6.7 m ball mill and second flotation stream are being erected. Once the new mill is completed both flotation streams will be brought on line to produce concentrate. In addition, a new reagent makeup and dosing plant will be installed to accurately mix and dose flotation chemicals into the circuit.

The concentrate will then be thickened, initially in one 4.2 m high rate thickener, while a second unit is installed to cater for a 30,000 t/mth throughput. Two 1,250 mm x 1,250 mm automatic side bar hydraulic filter presses will be installed to dewater the concentrate to approximately 10% moisture prior to bagging, containerisation and dispatch.

The following material orders have been made:

• Jaw crusher – NMS JC850 jaw crusher, feed intake 850 mm x 510 mm, max feed size 450 mm, expected discharge size 0mm to 75 mm, throughput 65 to 95 t/h.

• Cone crusher – NMS CC100 EC cone crusher, maximum feed size 135 mm, close size setting 10 mm to 13 mm, product size 80% minus 16 mm, throughput 48 to 89 t/h.

• Reconditioned ball mill – Size 3.6 m x 6.7 m, motor size 1,700 kW, feed size 80% at minus 16mm, product size 80% passing 106 micron, design throughput 50 t/h

• Concentrate filtration – two side bar hydraulic filter press units, 1,250 mm x 1,250 mm, automated electric operation, 200 m2 filter area, 76 filter chambers, design tonnage 8.5 t/h, product moisture 10-11%.

Furthermore, preparations for mining have commenced with the contractor having mobilised to site to start the development and first fit work required to recommence underground operations in the new year. Galane Gold CEO, Nick Brodie commented: “With the completion of the funding requirements for our facility with Barak, Galane is now in a position that it can progress to the restarting of the operations at Galaxy. The work done by Galane while Galaxy was in care and maintenance has resulted in a detailed scope of work for the plant upgrade which we have had verified by independent third parties. Galane has also followed the same process for the restart of underground operations. This represents only the first step of our resurrection of the Galaxy mine and we will shortly commence a study with the aim being to double production and lower the all-in cost as a result of increased economies of scale.”