Pilar Gold Inc has announced a strategic equipment partnership with Resemin and Sotreq ahead of the company’s restart of operations and ongoing modernisation program at its PGDM gold mining complex in Brazil.
Under the agreement, Pilar Gold has placed orders with Resemin and Sotreq for a new underground mining fleet including jumbo drills, production rigs and development equipment, while Chinese OEM TEMPUS will supply LHD units for underground operations.
The investment forms a key part of Pilar Gold’s broader operational restart plan aimed at increasing underground development rates and positioning the company for higher gold production in a stronger gold price environment.
The equipment package ordered from Resemin through Sotreq includes four underground mining units comprised of a TROIDON 66XP twin-boom jumbo drill; RAPTOR 55-2R long-hole production drill; MUKI FF narrow vein face jumbo drill; and MUKI LHBP-2R narrow vein production drill.
TEMPUS Smart Mining is a Hong Kong registered company but with a factory in Ningxiang near Changsha. It has a large wear parts business but also offers mining equipment including underground loaders up to 14 t capacity tramming capacity with options for Volvo Penta Stage IV and Stage V diesel engines as well as diesel-electric drive and battery electric versions. The loaders have an intelligent control system with different available levels of automation.
The equipment is designed specifically for underground mining applications and will support production ramp-up across Pilar Gold’s underground mining operations at PGDM.
Pilar Gold Chairman, Jeremy Gray, commented: “As we resume operations at PGDM, it is critically important that we reinvest into the underground mining fleet to improve efficiency and position the company for long-term growth. With gold prices remaining strong, this is the ideal time to modernize operations and prepare the mine for significantly higher production levels.”
Gray added: “We are very pleased to be working with industry leaders such as Resemin, Sotreq, and TEMPUS. These partnerships provide Pilar Gold with access to high-quality underground mining equipment and technical support as we move toward restarting and expanding operations.”
The fleet modernisation program is expected to support Pilar Gold’s phased restart strategy, including the refurbishment and expansion of underground mining activities at the Pilar 1 & 2, Maria Lázara and Caiamar mining areas.
The restart of PGDM is particularly significant for Chancery Royalty Ltd, which holds a major royalty exposure to Pilar Gold and considers the operation one of the cornerstone assets within its growing precious metals royalty portfolio.
Pilar Gold is focused on restarting and expanding production at its PGDM gold mining complex in Brazil, a historically significant gold producing operation with substantial installed infrastructure and exploration upside. The Company controls a 4.07 Moz gold resource base and is targeting near-term annual production of approximately 40,000 ounces, with long-term expansion potential toward 80,000 oz annually.
The PGDM complex includes a modern 4,500 t/d processing plant, three developed underground mines and one open pit development project, with more than US$500 million in replacement infrastructure already in place. Pilar Gold also believes the project holds significant exploration upside, supported by existing resources and ongoing drilling targets across the district.
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