Barton Gold Managing Director Alexander Scanlon joined Steve Darling from Proactive to share exciting news about the company's Tunkillia Gold Project. Situated 550 kilometers northwest of Adelaide, South Australia, the Tunkillia project benefits from existing access tracks on North Well Station, connecting it conveniently to the Tarcoola Road near Kingoonya. Scanlon revealed that the initial Scoping Study for the Tunkillia Gold Project has demonstrated significant potential.
The study outlines a robust plan for a 5 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) bulk open pit mining and processing operation. This model targets an initial life-of-mine of 6.4 years, extending to an 8-year project life overall. Throughout this period, the project is expected to process a total of 30.7 million tonnes of material, grading an average of 0.93 grams per tonne (g/t) of gold and 2.52 g/t of silver. Barton Gold's initial processing cost assumptions, considered to be quite conservative, project the Tunkillia Gold Project to deliver strong financial returns. The study indicates competitive all-in sustaining cost (AISC) performance and a payback period of just 1.9 years, despite the initial mine life being set at 6 years.
Moreover, the company has identified multiple areas for potential optimization in terms of process design, capital expenditures, operating costs, and extending both the life of the mine and the materials schedule. These opportunities for improvement highlight the project's promising outlook. Barton Gold is now advancing towards a preliminary feasibility study, aiming to further de-risk the project and maximize its economic potential. This initial scoping study underscores the significant promise of the Tunkillia Gold Project, positioning Barton Gold for continued success as it progresses through the stages of project development.
