Business
Sekisovskoye Update
Sekisovskoye Update.
About this update from Altyngold Plc
[{"type":"text","content":"\n Hambledon Mining PLC\n10 March 2008\n\n\n HAMBLEDON MINING PLC\n (AIM: HMB)\n\n\n Sekisovskoye Update - Inquiry conclusions and restart of operations\n\n\nHambledon Mining plc ('Hambledon' or the 'Group' or the 'Company'), the\nAIM-listed gold mining and processing company operating in Kazakhstan, announces\nthe partial restart of operations at its gold mine at Sekisovskoye. This\nfollows the conclusion of the investigation into the boiler accident on 12\nFebruary 2008. A replacement boiler has been ordered and this is expected to be\non site and installed in time for the overall plant to be in full operation by\nmid April.\n\n\nConclusions of the investigation\n\n\nThe committee appointed by the Department of Labor and Social Protection\nMinistry of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Eastern Kazakhstan Region (the '\nCommittee') has completed its investigations.\n\n\nThe Committee found that, although there had been a comprehensive testing of\nequipment and process at the plant, the cause of the accident was a small\nexplosion in the burner side of the boiler, resulting from incorrect adjustment\nof the fuel-air mixture, causing the rupture of the main liquid vessel. Fault\nwas attributed to incorrect procedures and modifications by several of the\nCompany's employees, manufacturing faults in the boiler itself, incorrect\nselection of equipment and operation of the boiler by non-specialist staff. The\nCommittee concluded that the Company was responsible and no fault was attributed\nto the operator who died. The Committee ordered that four employees be removed\nfrom their positions, one of whom the Company has subsequently dismissed. Three\nfurther employees have been fined. No fines were imposed on the Company.\n\n\n\nRestarting of operations\n\n\n\nThe Company is permitted to restart all operations at the plant immediately,\nexcept for the redesigned elution boiler which will need to be inspected and\napproved by the Committee for State Control over Emergencies and Industrial\nSafety. The crushing plant will be restarted shortly, with the intention of\nbuilding up a stockpile of crushed ore prior to the restart of the overall plant\nby mid April 2008. Mining operations, which were suspended after the accident\nto conserve cash, will not be restarted until the beginning of May as a\nstockpile of some 150,000 tonnes of ore already...