By TesfaNews,
CHINESE investment group SFECO this week announced that mine construction work at the Zara gold project in Eritrea entered a smooth 200 days.
In comparison to the Bisha mine, the Zara Gold project is found in a mountainous terrain with some unfavorable natural factors. However, the company said it achieved to complete the fundamental structures needed for the main plant.
Zara gold project is operated by the Zara Mining Share Company (ZMSC), a joint venture company established between China SFECO Group (60%) and the Eritrean National Mining Corporation ENAMCO (40%).
According to ZMSC, construction of plant structures begins late last year, on the 26th of September. Thus far, the construction of retaining walls, milling, crushing and processing facilities including the complete production line slot concrete structure and ancillary facilities have been finalized.
Heavy earthwork operations that includes live mixing, pouring of 8300 m3 of concretes, domestic material procurement and shipping 32 lots, equivalent to 182 TEUs, bulk 8660 cubic meters/tone also been accomplished.
With the completion of processing equipment construction works, the next step will be focusing on beneficiation of production line equipment installation, 15Km aqueduct, 5Km high voltage power transmission lines and three tailings pipelines each 10.5 Km in length.
It was recalled that China SFECO Group acquired the Zara Gold project from Australian Chalice Gold Mines on September 4th, 2012 at a total price of US$ 114m.
Eritrea’s national mining country plan indicates that the country would have four world class, functioning mines by 2016.
At the pace of such construction, Zara mine will go operational before the end of 2014. With Nevsun’s Bisha mine already entered Copper mining stage, South Boulder’s open pit Potash mine at Colluli and Sunridge Resources Asmara Gold and Copper projects are expected to go operational either by the end of 2015 or early 2016.
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