Austral Gold Provides Update on Casposo Plant Refurbishment
Austral Gold reports significant progress on its Casposo Plant refurbishment in Argentina, with commercial operations scheduled to begin in the second half of 2025. The plant, with a capacity of 1,300 tonnes per day, has been in care and maintenance since 2019 after processing over 530,000 gold equivalent ounces since 2010.
Key completed works include:
- Crushing Circuit completion and testing
- 80% completion of leaching tank cleaning
- Repair of thickeners and counter-current decantation systems
- Process water system refurbishment
- 80% completion of electric motor maintenance
The company plans major Q2 2025 works including SAG mill relining, primary crusher refurbishment, and new hydrocyclone installation. This refurbishment aligns with Austral's strategy to diversify revenue streams by operating a second mine complex alongside its Chilean operations.
Austral Gold annuncia importanti progressi nella ristrutturazione dell'impianto Casposo in Argentina, con l'inizio delle operazioni commerciali previsto per la seconda metà del 2025. L'impianto, con una capacità di 1.300 tonnellate al giorno, è stato in stato di manutenzione dal 2019 dopo aver processato oltre 530.000 once equivalenti d'oro dal 2010.
I principali lavori completati includono:
- Completamento e collaudo del circuito di frantumazione
- Pulizia dei serbatoi di lisciviazione completata all'80%
- Riparazione degli addensatori e dei sistemi di decantazione a controcorrente
- Ristrutturazione del sistema di acqua di processo
- Manutenzione degli motori elettrici completata all'80%
La società prevede lavori importanti nel secondo trimestre del 2025, tra cui il rivestimento del mulino SAG, la ristrutturazione del frantoio primario e l'installazione di nuovi idrocycloni. Questa ristrutturazione è in linea con la strategia di Austral di diversificare le fonti di reddito gestendo un secondo complesso minerario insieme alle sue operazioni in Cile.
Austral Gold informa de un progreso significativo en la reacondicionamiento de la planta Casposo en Argentina, con operaciones comerciales programadas para comenzar en la segunda mitad de 2025. La planta, con una capacidad de 1,300 toneladas por día, ha estado en cuidado y mantenimiento desde 2019 tras procesar más de 530,000 onzas equivalentes de oro desde 2010.
Los trabajos clave completados incluyen:
- Finalización y prueba del circuito de trituración
- 80% de limpieza de los tanques de lixiviación completada
- Reparación de espesadores y sistemas de decantación contracorriente
- Reacondicionamiento del sistema de agua de proceso
- 80% de mantenimiento de motores eléctricos completado
La compañía planea importantes trabajos para el segundo trimestre de 2025, incluyendo el revestimiento del molino SAG, reacondicionamiento del triturador primario e instalación de nuevos hidrociclones. Esta renovación está alineada con la estrategia de Austral de diversificar sus fuentes de ingresos operando un segundo complejo minero junto con sus operaciones en Chile.
Austral Gold는 아르헨티나의 Casposo 공장 개보수에서 큰 진전을 보고하며, 2025년 하반기에 상업 운영을 시작할 예정입니다. 일일 처리 능력 1,300톤의 이 공장은 2010년 이후 530,000온스 이상의 금 환산량을 처리한 후 2019년부터 보수 및 유지 관리 중입니다.
완료된 주요 작업은 다음과 같습니다:
- 파쇄 회로 완성 및 시험
- 침출 탱크 청소 80% 완료
- 농축기 및 역류 침전 시스템 수리
- 공정수 시스템 개보수
- 전기 모터 유지보수 80% 완료
회사는 2025년 2분기에 SAG 밀 라이닝, 1차 파쇄기 개보수, 새로운 하이드로사이클론 설치 등 주요 작업을 계획하고 있습니다. 이번 개보수는 칠레 사업장과 함께 두 번째 광산 단지를 운영하여 수익원을 다각화하려는 Austral의 전략과 일치합니다.
Austral Gold annonce des progrès significatifs dans la réhabilitation de l'usine Casposo en Argentine, avec un démarrage des opérations commerciales prévu pour le second semestre 2025. L'usine, d'une capacité de 1 300 tonnes par jour, est en maintenance depuis 2019 après avoir traité plus de 530 000 onces équivalent or depuis 2010.
Les travaux clés achevés comprennent :
- Achèvement et test du circuit de concassage
- 80 % du nettoyage des cuves de lixiviation réalisé
- Réparation des épaississeurs et des systèmes de décantation en contre-courant
- Réhabilitation du système d'eau de procédé
- 80 % de la maintenance des moteurs électriques effectuée
L'entreprise prévoit des travaux majeurs au deuxième trimestre 2025, incluant le rechargement du broyeur SAG, la réhabilitation du concasseur primaire et l'installation de nouveaux hydrocyclones. Cette réhabilitation s'inscrit dans la stratégie d'Austral visant à diversifier ses sources de revenus en exploitant un second complexe minier en parallèle de ses opérations chiliennes.
Austral Gold berichtet über bedeutende Fortschritte bei der Sanierung der Casposo-Anlage in Argentinien, mit geplanter Aufnahme der kommerziellen Produktion in der zweiten Hälfte des Jahres 2025. Die Anlage mit einer Kapazität von 1.300 Tonnen pro Tag befindet sich seit 2019 in Wartung, nachdem sie seit 2010 über 530.000 Goldäquivalent-Unzen verarbeitet hat.
Wesentliche abgeschlossene Arbeiten umfassen:
- Fertigstellung und Test des Brechkreislaufs
- 80% Reinigung der Laugungstanks abgeschlossen
- Reparatur der Eindicker und Gegenstrom-Entwässerungssysteme
- Sanierung des Prozesswassersystems
- 80% Wartung der Elektromotoren abgeschlossen
Das Unternehmen plant für das zweite Quartal 2025 größere Arbeiten, darunter das Auskleiden der SAG-Mühle, die Überholung des Primärbrechers und die Installation neuer Hydrozyklone. Diese Sanierung entspricht der Strategie von Austral, die Einnahmequellen durch den Betrieb eines zweiten Bergbaukomplexes neben den chilenischen Aktivitäten zu diversifizieren.
- Crushing Area (Area 100) refurbishment completed and ready for commissioning
- Plant has proven historical capacity of 1,300 tonnes per day
- Historical production of over 530,000 gold equivalent ounces since 2010
- 80% completion of electric motor testing and servicing
- Revenue diversification through second mine complex activation
- On track for commercial operations in H2 2025
- Plant has been inactive since 2019
- Still requires technical report on feasibility before completion
- Multiple critical components still need repairs (SAG mill, primary crusher, filter band)
- 60% of valves in CCD and Filtration areas still need replacement
HIGHLIGHTS
Casposo Plant refurbishment advancing safely and efficiently across all core workstreams
Crushing Area completed refurbishment with initial unloaded tests underway
Commercial operations on track for start-up in the second half of 2025
Sydney, Australia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 29, 2025) - Established gold producer Austral Gold Limited (ASX: AGD) (TSXV: AGLD) (OTCQB: AGLDF) ("Austral" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on the refurbishment of its
Austral Gold's Chief Executive Officer, Stabro Kasaneva said: "We are pleased with the continued progress on the refurbishment of the Casposo Plant in Argentina. We expect this will enable us to diversify our revenue streams by bringing our second mine complex into operation alongside our flagship Chilean operational cluster. We will continue to keep our stakeholders informed and expect to provide a further update during the second quarter of 2025."
Processing Plant Overview
The Casposo Gold-Silver Processing Plant, which has been in care and maintenance since 2019 following nearly a decade of operations, has traditionally been divided into nine key areas as follows:
Area 100: Crushing
Area 200: Grinding, gravitational concentration, thickening, and intensive leaching
Area 300: Leaching
Area 400: Counter current decantation and tailings filtration
Area 500: Clarification and Merrill-Crowe process
Area 600: Refinery 1-2 and smelting
Area 700: Cyanide destruction
Area 800: Reagents 1 and Reagents 2
Area 900: Water and air supply
The plant has a capacity of 1,300 tonnes per day (tpd), as shown by previous production rates from operations, covering the full process from crushing to agitation leaching and the Merrill-Crowe processing stages. Since commencing operations in 2010, the Casposo Plant has processed more than 530,000 gold equivalent ounces.
Refurbishment Plant Overview
Key activities completed to date as part of the Casposo Plant refurbishment include:
Inspection Phase Finalised: Completion of the inspection stage to identify procurement needs and align them with existing warehouse inventory.
Longer Lead items for Plant equipment: Major equipment dismantled and sent for evaluation and repair, including leaching tank reducers, mill motor, hydrocyclones, and impeller blades.
Crushing Circuit Works Completed (Area 100): Mechanical, electrical, and fabrication works finalised and ready for commissioning.
Leaching Tank Reducers Repaired (Area 300):
100% of leaching tank reducers refurbished and ready for installation.Leaching Tank Cleaning Progress (Area 300 and 400):
80% of accumulated solids removed from leaching tanks.Thickeners and Counter-Current Decantation (CCD) repaired (Area 400): Milling thickeners and counter current decantation systems are repaired and ready for commissioning.
Belt Filter Refurbishment Underway (Area 400): Sandblasting and painting of belt filters
80% complete.Process Water System Ready (Area 900): Refurbishment of the process water pumping system completed.
Electrical Cabling Organised (Area 400 and 500): Reorganisation and cleaning works finalised in the electrical rooms supporting CCD, Filtration, and Merrill Crowe areas.
Electric Motor Maintenance Advancing:
80% of testing and servicing is completed for the Plant's electric motors.Valve Replacement Progress (Area 400):
40% of valves replaced across the CCD and Filtration areas.
General View of the Crushing Circuit Area (Area 100)
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/690/250255_f028e76714c72b2d_002full.jpg
Main works planned for Q2 2025 include:
Primary crusher refurbishment
SAG mill relining and SAG engine repair
Installation of new hydrocyclones.
Engines and reducers for leaching tanks and CCD's repair
Filter band refurbishment
Modifications and improvement of piping and ducts
The Company also intends to prepare a technical report on the feasibility of processing Casposo's own mineralised material prior to completing the refurbishment of the Casposo Plant.
About Austral Gold
Austral Gold is a growing gold and silver mining producer building a portfolio of quality assets in the Americas based on three strategic pillars: production, exploration and equity investments. Austral continues to lay the foundation for its growth strategy by advancing its attractive portfolio of producing and exploration assets.
For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.australgold.com.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Release approved by the Company's Chief Executive Officer of Austral Gold, Stabro Kasaneva.
For additional information please contact:
| David Hwang | Jose Bordogna |
| Joint Company Secretary | Chief Financial Officer and Joint Company Secretary |
| Austral Gold Limited | Austral Gold Limited |
| david@confidantpartners.com | jose.bordogna@australgold.com |
| +61 433 292 290 | +61 466 892 307 |
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this announcement that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical, and consist primarily of projections - statements regarding future plans, expectations and developments. Words such as "expects", "intends", "plans", "may", "could", "potential", "should", "anticipates", "likely", "believes" and words of similar import tend to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this announcement include statements regarding our expectations for the refurbishment of the Casposo Plant in Argentina, the diversification of our revenue streams, and the operation of our second mine complex alongside our flagship Chilean operational cluster. Additionally, forward-looking statements include our plans to provide updates during the second quarter of 2025 and to prepare a technical report on the feasibility of processing Casposo's own mineralised material, the main works planned for Q2 2025, and our expectation that we can continue to lay the foundation for our growth strategy by advancing our attractive portfolio of producing and exploration assets.
All of these forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those expressed or implied, including, without limitation, uncertainty of exploration programs, development plans and cost estimates, commodity price fluctuations; political or economic instability and regulatory changes; currency fluctuations, the state of the capital markets, uncertainty in the measurement of mineral resources and reserves and other risks and hazards related to the exploration of a mineral property, and the availability of capital and a skilled workforce. You are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive of all factors and assumptions which may have been used. Austral cannot assure you that actual events, performance or results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements, and management's assumptions may prove to be incorrect. Austral's forward-looking statements reflect current expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date hereof and Austral does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change other than as required by applicable law. For the reasons set forth above, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/250255
FAQ
When will Austral Gold (AGLDF) restart the Casposo Plant operations in 2025?
What is the processing capacity of Austral Gold's Casposo Plant?
What major refurbishment work has been completed at AGLDF's Casposo Plant?
What are the main refurbishment tasks planned for Q2 2025 at the Casposo Plant?
How many processing areas does the Casposo Plant have?
