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Tagged with: Pan Aust Resources

Jun 2002 - Pan Aust Resources

Pan Australian Resources NL (PNA) – Advancing its Laotian Gold Project Towards Feasibility and Production

  • On 14 June 2002, PNA shareholders are to vote on a number of steps that have the capability to materially enhance their company resulting in gold production possibly by December 2004, by approving the acquisition of the Phu Bia coppergold project in Laos from Newmont.
  • The results of initial scoping studies suggest that Phu Bia could be capable of producing 70,000ozpa of gold from a 3mtpa heap leach operation advancing into 25,000ozpa of gold and 25,000tpa of copper from a concentrate in a 3mtpa conventional plant, that could later be expanded to 5mtpa.
  • Further infill drilling is currently required to complete the pre-feasibility study on Phu Bia and assess the initial processing route as heap leach and/or CIL, with a combined CIL/heap leach route potentially capable of materially higher gold production. The treatment alternatives depend mainly on drilling higher grade targets of 4 to 5g/t at Ban Houayxai and 8g/t at Long Chieng Track, plus the 3 to 12g/t gossans, and deeper copper-gold mineralisation at Phu Kham.
  • PNA also still has its Puthep copper project in Thailand on which it is waiting for Cabinet approval in order to advance it to the next stage having completed a viable pre-feasibility study.

Jul 2003 - Pan Aust Resources

Pan Australian Resources NL (PNA) – Phu Bia Gold Project Approaching the Completion of its Pre-feasibility Study

  • The current focus for PNA is the completion of its pre-feasibility study which is on schedule for September 2003. Perhaps not surprisingly, Phu Kham (which literally translated means “mountain” of gold) is shaping up as the most prospective area with spectacular intersections such as GRC58’s 30m at 3.7g/t in the oxide gold cap ending in mineralisation and showing fairly regular grade continuity throughout the drillhole.
  • PNA provided targets in a presentation in late July 2003 of potentially commencing production from its Phu Bia Gold Project in late 2004, increasing to an annualised rate of 50,000ozpa gold from 2005, and then rising to 110,000ozpa gold and 50,000tpa copper as the Phu Kham copper-gold orebody (beneath the gold cap) comes into production from 2007.
  • The pre-feasibility study appears to be heading towards a combined 1.5mt to 2.0mtpa CIL and heap-leach plant located at Phu Kham (PK), possible trucking from Long Chieng Track (LCT) and a heap-leach at Ban Houayxai (BH).
  • Although the infrastructure is already reasonably good, it is being dramatically upgraded by the new south to north power line from the hydro-power station through to Phonsavan, which bypasses about 8km east of Phu Kham and is scheduled for completion in December 2003. A partly sealed road parallel to the power line is also scheduled for completion some 2 years’ later.

Jun 2004 - Pan Aust Resources

Pan Australian Resources NL (PNA) – Starting Gold (and later Copper) Production in Laos from March 2005

  • PNA is still relatively on-track for the targets it gave in July 2003, with the BFS on the Phu Bia Gold Project expected to be completed in July 2004, and 1.5mt to 2.0mtpa heap-leach initial production from the Phu Kham (PK) gold cap targeted to commence at 50,000ozpa to 70,000ozpa during the first quarter of 2005.
  • For the Phu Kham copper-gold orebody, the current concept is to complete the BFS by mid-2005, for a 9mtpa to 12.5mtpa operation producing >60,000tpa copper and >50,000ozpa gold or so in concentrates, starting possibly by mid-2007.
  • Both Projects have the capability of producing higher grades in their initial years, which could result in higher production, improved cashflows and lower pay-back times.
  • The Phu Bia Gold heap-leach plant is expected to be located between the PK gold cap and the Long Chieng Track (LCT) gold deposit. LCT is expected to be treated after the gold cap, followed by Ban Houayxai (BH). Gold resources as at 4 June 2004 are 570,000oz, and are expected to be upgraded further from the current drilling of the gold cap resulting in revisions to the BFS in July, and ahead of final pit designs in September 2004.
  • Construction has been timed to occur between the “wet” seasons. With all approvals expected to have been received by mid-October 2004, so that main construction can occur from October 2004 to January 2005, stacking of heaps in February 2005, and the first gold pour in March 2005.