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Highlights
- Aguia Resources makes significant progress in Colombia's Santa Barbara Gold Project.
- Commissioning of additional equipment ensures long-term operational success.
- Exploration drilling begins in Q1 2025 to expand the project’s potential.
Aguia Resources (ASX:AGR) is achieving key milestones at the Santa Barbara Gold Project located in Colombia, marking significant progress toward full-scale production. The company is preparing for the first carbon strip and a subsequent gold pour at the project, as underground development activities continue to advance.
The company has confirmed that it is set to complete the commissioning of the first mine stope by the end of this month, which will enable them to begin processing gold. Alongside this, Aguia Resources is working on enhancing its processing infrastructure with the installation of additional equipment. This includes three new agitator tanks, which will allow the processing of 30 tonnes per day (tpd) of gold ore. Further, four more agitator tanks, each with a capacity of five tonnes, are expected to be operational in the coming months, increasing processing capabilities to reach a target of 50tpd.
Aguia has also announced the arrival of a new Merrill Crowe precipitation system, which has been fabricated and delivered to the site. This system, along with a new gold room, is expected to be installed and commissioned later this month, further boosting operational capabilities. The development is particularly exciting for Aguia’s Executive Chairman, Warwick Grigor, who remarked that the Santa Barbara project is already showing potential as a high-grade gold asset. He emphasized the importance of adding additional capital items to improve the processing plant’s reliability and boost production in the near future.
In addition to the ongoing mining activities, Aguia Resources plans to commence exploration drilling in the current quarter. The goal is to understand the full extent of the high-grade gold system present in the area, which should provide new opportunities for expansion as exploration continues.
The Santa Barbara Gold Project spans 320 hectares and is located in the heart of a prolific gold camp in Colombia. The area sits on the northern edge of the Serranía de San Lucas belt, known for its rich history in gold mining.
Furthermore, Aguia’s wholly owned subsidiary, Minera La Fortuna, has received all necessary approvals to operate the underground mining and processing facilities. Following the successful commencement of underground mining in early December, Aguia Resources has already mined and processed over 25 tonnes of mineralized development material, alongside removing 246 tonnes of waste material.
Aguia Resources, while renowned for its pre-production phosphate projects in Brazil, is poised for strong growth in its gold division as exploration, production, and infrastructure improvements continue at Santa Barbara.
