9 Mar 2009 07:00
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9Β MarchΒ 2009Β AIM: GMA
GMA Resources Plc
("GMA" or "the Company")
ProductionΒ of 3,037Β ouncesΒ ofΒ gold inΒ FebruaryΒ 2009
GMA announces that in February 2009,Β the Amesmessa Gold Mine in Algeria produced 3,037 ounces of goldΒ andΒ 590 ounces of silver. Whilst production inΒ JanuaryΒ 2009Β wasΒ above management expectations of 3,000 ounces, the production for February 2009Β wasΒ below expectations of approximately 4,000 ounces.Β
Low availability of spares for mining equipment, delays in receiving the spares from ports and certain operational issues with a new leach padΒ affected production results in FebruaryΒ but the directors of the Company are confident that these issues have been resolved and, therefore, should not have a negative effect on this month's production.
Douglas Perkins, Chief Executive Officer of GMA, commented:
"In line with our previous announcement in January 2009 we will continue to report production on a monthly basis during Q1 2009 to keep shareholders informedΒ of productionΒ on a timely basis.Β We areΒ disappointedΒ notΒ to haveΒ increased monthly production for theΒ fifthΒ month in a row, evenΒ thoughΒ it isΒ hopefully aΒ temporaryΒ situation. Supply chain continues to test our abilities to service the mineΒ but the experienced teamΒ at siteΒ continues toΒ quickly diagnoseΒ and resolveΒ anyΒ problems that arise. We continue to receive commercial supplies of explosives on a timely basis and the water pipeline is exceeding expectations. We will continue to fine tune the operation to maximum efficiency as we gain more experience over the next couple of months."
Enquiries:
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GMA Resources Plc Douglas Perkins |
Tel: +1 514 806 6788 |
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John East & Partners Limited Bidhi Bhoma / David Worlidge |
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7628 2200 |
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Notes to Editors:
GMA owns a controlling 52 per cent.Β stake in ENOR spa ("ENOR"), the Algerian based operating company for the Amesmessa project, with the remainder owned by Sonatrach, the Algerian state-owned oil andΒ gasΒ company.
ENOR holds the exploitation authorization to the Tirek-Amesmessa property, an area of some 1,417 km2, located approximatelyΒ 450km south west of the city ofΒ Tamanrasset, in southern Algeria. Amesmessa is an open pit heap leach gold mine located in the extreme south of the permit area. The Tirek gold mine is located in the northern third of the exploration permit area, some 60 km north of Amesmessa. Research to date suggests that the Zita Zone, which lies between Tirek and Amesmessa, offers considerable potential for the development of additional prospects amenable to open-pit mining. GMA plans to expand upon resources outside of the major 80kmΒ north/southΒ Tirek-Amesmessa faultΒ and other exploration targets on the property.Β
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