Record gold grades for Aguia at Colombian mining play

The Três Estradas plant is already running ahead of expectations, with the company recently locking in a whopping A$2.3 million in sales of its “Pampafos” organic phosphate product within just six weeks of commissioning. The plant features a capacity of more than 200,000 tonnes per annum.

The early sales success suggests a clear local appetite for Aguia’s domestically produced fertilisers, particularly products such as Pampafos. Policy is quickly shifting in the company’s favour too, after Brazil’s federal senate recently approved a Fertiliser Industry Development Program (Profert), a major push designed to support domestic fertiliser production and reduce the nation’s heavy reliance on imports.

With cash flows from both of its operations now growing and a recent $3 million capital raise, Aguia plans to return to exploration in Colombia in the fourth quarter. Drilling will chase extensions to Santa Barbara’s high-grade vein system, which remains largely untouched by modern exploration.

As costs seemingly come under control and a clear strategy emerges to scale up high-grade production using a combination of its own plant and third-party processing, Aguia appears to have found its rhythm in Colombia. While production is still modest, the early revenue is encouraging and a disciplined ramp-up could turn Santa Barbara’s high-grade veins into a serious cash generator for the South American-focused producer.

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