Australian mining company St Barbara is set to increase its production at the Simberi mine over the next three years, following the successful use of artificial intelligence- (AI-) based algorithms to better classify mineralisation.
Collaborating with Stratum AI has helped St Barbara to identify carbon-in-leach (CIL) treatable sulphides that would previously have been considered unsuitable for the current CIL circuit.
“The work achieved with Stratum AI has been highly effective in enabling the Simberi team to delineate more ore which can be treated with the existing CIL plant,” commented MD and CEO Andrew Strelein.
He said the increased confidence built from the practical application of the AI work had given Simberi the confidence to reclassify its material types, adding 143 000 oz of material that can be processed through the existing CIL circuit.
In addition, this allows St Barbara to plan for a stable gold production target over the next three years of 70 000 oz to 75 000 oz in the lead-up to the transition to production of a gold concentrate from the sulphide ores.
The target compares with a 2024 full-year guidance of 60 000 oz to 70 000 oz.