Gold production reaches 2.2 tonnes in nine-month operation

Gold production reaches 2.2 tonnes in nine-month operation

Renaissance Limited (Cambodia), a subsidiary of the Australia-listed Renaissance, has refined more than two tonnes of gold ore from its licensed commercial gold mine located in Mondulkiri province’s Keo Seima district.

The company extracted and refined gold ore since its operation in June last year.

Speaking at an inauguration ceremony of the Chom Chao flyover and underpass held on Thursday, Prime Minister Hun Sen said that the 2,275 kilogrammes are from commercial gold production only.

That will increase if more gold production is included, he said.

“For the nine-month operation, we can produce 2,275 kilogrammes. This is just from one place. There are still other places,” he said. “We have started using part of our natural resources which we are exploring for commercial production to contribute to the needs of the nation.”

Renaissance started commercial production in June this year, becoming the first commercial gold production in the Kingdom.

It plans to refine an estimated three tonnes of gold ore every year for the first eight years of the mine’s operation, which is about 250 kg per month.

The company exports the gold ore to Australia for purifying to 99.9 gold.

The company has recently been granted a new mine exploration licence on 107 hectares of land located in Thbong Khmum province’s Memot district. The licence provides the company three years for exploration from January 2021 to January 2024.

According to the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the company has started demarcation of the area and worked with local authorities to explain the project to the local people.

The company has time to proceed before entering the exploration process, it said, adding that the amount of mine underground in the licensed area could not be estimated as the company is still in the exploration stage. Khmer Times