If this is the case…
The original mining plan was to recover 223,000 ounces over a 6 year mine life at an average grade of 1.45 gms per ton .
So, an average of about 39,500 ounces per year.
A new Feasability study was done by Snowden in March 2023 which incorporated recent ( since 2019 and very recent ) infill and extensional drilling results which defined a new source of high grade sulphides at Buffalo Reef whose three pits contained most of the historical sulphides.
Undoubtedly, other key parameters such as Mass pull were also upgraded.
Also, higher grades mean higher gold recovery per ton of gold mined both of which , including higher grades, will significantly decrease the cash costs.
So, doubling production would require about 2.5 gms per ton when other
optimizations , as described, are included but , that the cutoff grade was also increased from 0.5 gms to 0.67 gms per ton also helps.
So, this is my interpretation of how production can be doubled.
I doubt 80,000 ounces per year....but what do I know..but certainly see 60,000 + ounces per year as being realistic if not conservative .
What I don't know is if they have drill defined high grade ore right below the floor of the three BR pits which was modelled to be there but never drilled.
This would change everything , as it would mean that the sulphide basement rock is quite accessible by blasting through the pit floors..