Project was completed at a rapid pace, with the first concrete pour occurring in August 2022 and plant operations starting just a little over a year later. Achieving that pace is a point of pride for the team at Lion One Metals. “That was a huge achievement and a testament to all the planning and hard work that was done,” says Ronan Geoghegan, Corporate Development Manager. “It’s a testament to the relationships we formed with the local community and the Fiji government. Those relationships were hugely important and we’re really proud of them.” In preparing for the Tuvatu project, Lion One Metals also constructed their own geochemical assay and metallurgical laboratory building. That laboratory is located at the company’s Fijian headquarters, approximately one kilometre from the Nadi International Airport and only 17 kilometres away from the Tuvatu mine. The lab is equipped for gold analysis by fire assay with atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) finish, and can also be utilized to conduct metallurgical optimization test work including flotation and leaching. Backed by that laboratory and their fleet of eight drill rigs, Lion One Metals is “effectively a vertically-integrated organization,” according to Ronan. “That’s very unique, especially for a company of our size – especially an exploration company, as we were for so long,” he says. “We can now get results from our drills very quickly. That allows us to be really nimble and really responsive. It allows us to move really quickly.” THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA Aerial view of the Tuvatu Mine and Processing Plant under construction in August, 2023.
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