Newfield Resources has completed 845 metres of underground development at its Tongo diamond mine in Sierra Leone.
Company executive director Karl Smithson said kimberlite ore is being yielded from the return air way (RAW) on the Kundu kimberlite and they are currently stockpiling this at their bulk sample plant for processing.
“The decline towards mining level-1 on Kundu is also progressing which will lead to the first mining stopes being established at Tongo and providing the first run of mine ore,” he said.
“The operations have not been adversely affected by the various worldwide travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 Omicron variant, but we continue to remain vigilant and maintain our strict screening and sanitation protocol on the mine site.”
Newfield said the next two months will see the continuation of the Kundu A RAW development and commencement of the ventilation raise, recovering ore from Kundu in the process.
It said the Kundu decline will progress towards mining level-1 of Kundu A where a rock drive will be developed eastwards towards the first cross cuts that will access the first fissure raise and mining stopes of level-1.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
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