Kingsgate Consolidated (ASX:KCN) reported a "significant mechanical failure" at its Chatree gold mine in Thailand, with elevated bearing temperatures leading to the controlled shutdown of the ball mill at the mine's first plant, according to a Monday filing with the Australian bourse.
The incident late on July 10 did not lead to any injuries, and preliminary inspections identified a failure of the ball mill trunnion bearings alongside related damage to the trunnion journals, per the filing.
The first plant, which has a nameplate processing capacity of 2.3 million tonnes per year, is offline while the company performs a detailed technical assessment and continues a probe into the root cause of the failure.
Kingsgate is considering multiple repair options and is also considering operating alternatives that may allow limited processing at the first plant while it is under repair.
The mine's second plant, which has a nameplate processing capacity of 2.7 million tonnes per year and represents the majority of Chatree's gold production, is fully operational, the company said.
The company's shares tumbled 14% in recent Monday trade.