B2 Gold’s Otjikoto mine produced 31 417 oz in the second quarter, which was 6% below budget, owing to a slower-than-planned ramp-up in development of the Wolfshag underground mine, the company has announced.
B2Gold said it had appointed a new underground contractor and that development rates in the underground mine had recovered, with development ore now expected in the third quarter of 2022 and stope ore production starting in the fourth quarter of 2022.
As a result of this change in ore production timing, the 2022 annual production guidance range for Otjikoto has been revised to between 165,000 and 175,000 ounces of gold (original guidance range was between 175,000 and 185,000 ounces of gold). As expected, compared to the second quarter of 2021, gold production was higher by 17% (4,526 ounces) due to significant waste stripping operations at both the Wolfshag and Otjikoto pits in the first half of 2021.
“For the second quarter of 2022, mill feed grade was 1.17 g/t compared to budget of 1.25 g/t and 0.99 g/t in the second quarter of 2021; mill throughput was 0.85 million tonnes compared to budget of 0.85 million tonnes and 0.86 million tonnes in the second quarter of 2021; and gold recovery averaged 98.4% compared to budget of 98.0% and 97.8% in the second quarter of 2021,” the mine said in the announcement of its gold production and gold revenue for the second quarter and first half of 2022.