Pambili Natural Resources has announced its inaugural gold production from the recently acquired Golden Valley mine in Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland province. This marks a significant milestone in the Canadian junior mining company’s strategy to consolidate and revitalize underperforming mines in the region.
The Golden Valley project, with its historical background in underground mining, is considered by Pambili to be underexplored in modern times. The company believes the site holds potential for a substantial bulk mineable gold deposit capable of supporting a large-scale commercial operation. While formal mining operations have yet to resume, Pambili has initiated underground development in preparation for a drilling program set to commence later this month.
A technical report earlier this year, which supported the drilling program, highlighted the presence of 56 historical mine shafts within a 5 km radius of Golden Valley. Of these, 19 shafts have a recorded total production of 31,154 oz. of gold, with an average grade of 7.27 grams per tonne (g/t) gold.
Pambili processed 630 tonnes of material from its underground development and historical surface sands through the Golden Valley plant, recovering 235 grams (7.5 oz) of gold at a recovery rate of 0.52 g/t. The company anticipates additional gold recovery from the imminent restart of toll milling and further cleanup of historical sands on the site before underground mining formally begins. However, the company noted that the yield from this material remains uncertain.
