LONDON (ShareCast) - (ShareCast News) - Pre-operational testing has been completed at the Altintepe Gold Project, 45% owned by Stratex International, but an initial gold pour has been delayed by unseasonal rains, the company said on Thursday.
The adverse weather conditions, including unseasonal rain has led to a minor delay in the completion of the heap leach pad, resulting in a delay in the gold pour, which will now be achieved in October. Rain caused delays in construction in the first quarter of 2015.

Stratex chief executive Bob Foster said their partners Bahar have continued to make excellent progress, with cold commissioning completed as scheduled.

"The short delay to first gold pour is frustrating but reflects the complexities of a mine-construction programme and should only be minimal."

The company is still waiting on formal decisions to legal challenges against the project's original Environmental Impact Assessment from earlier this year. At this stage it is not expected to impact the move to production.

The mine, located close to the Black Sea coast of northern Turkey, has an in-house resource of 0.593m ounces of gold and 3.185m ounces of silver.

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