Vast Resources (LSE:VAST), the AIM-quoted miner with assets in Tajikistan and Romania, said gold production at its Aprelevka joint venture rose 5% quarter-on-quarter to 2,701 ounces in the three months to 30 September.
The company holds a 49% beneficial interest in the Aprelevka joint venture, where throughput increased 21% to 207,789 tonnes milled, while ore mined rose 14% to 65,796 tonnes, supported by processing-plant upgrades completed early in the quarter and higher ore grades across all four mining areas.
Average ore gold grade climbed 12% to 1.102 g/t, with the strongest gains at Kyzylcheku and Ikkizelon.
Silver production slipped 3% to 23,603 ounces.
Kansai Tailings jumped 44% to 137,964 tonnes, though the average gold grade from that material fell 19% to 0.425 g/t, reflecting the planned processing of lower-grade material from an additional old tailings dam as the site is emptied ahead of the Soviet Tailings pilot plant's commissioning.
The Aprelevka joint venture spans four mining areas along Tajikistan's Tien Shan Belt and also holds two Soviet-era tailings facilities, TSF1B and TSF2B, which a Competent Persons Report in the August Admission Document estimated on a non-JORC basis to contain between 235,006 and 331,191 ounces of gold and between 65.1 million and 88.9 million ounces of silver.
Construction of the pilot flotation plant intended to reprocess that material progressed during the quarter, with electrical works, cell motor installation and refurbishment of all 28 flotation cells now complete; remaining work includes tailings pipework, emptying the existing pit and installing fabricated equipment due to arrive on site in the third week of November.
The 152-hole drilling programme at the Soviet Tailings, split across TSF1B and TSF2B, has been completed, and assaying is scheduled for the fourth quarter following certification of a new independent laboratory in Tajikistan, feeding into a maiden JORC-compliant Mineral Resource Estimate.
"Aprelevka delivered improved operational performance in Q3, with higher throughput, stronger ore grades and increased gold production, despite the impact of processing lower-grade tailings during the period," said chief executive Andrew Prelea.
Vast also said it is reviewing its board and management structures, reflecting the change in the business since its acquisition of the Tajik operations in August, with plans to reconstitute the board and establish an executive committee; further details are expected in due course.