TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – TSX- and Aim-listed Moto Goldmines has increased the estimated resources in the indicated category to 11,3-million ounces at its Moto gold project, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The resource estimate now also includes 11,2-million inferred resources, the company reported on Wednesday.

The company had initially planned to mine the Moto deposit as a solely openpit operation, but is in the process of reconfiguring its plans to include a combination of openpit and underground mining.

The latest resource estimate includes a 126% increase in the tonnage and a 60% increase in the contained gold for indicated mineral resources within the high intensity alteration zone of the Sessenge Deeps lodes, which is the subject of current underground feasibility work.

In December 2007, Moto completed a feasibility study, in which it calculated probable mineral reserves of 37,8-million tons at 3,2 g/t gold for 3,9-million ounces of gold, sourced solely from openpit mining.

An updated feasibility study, which will include plans for underground mining, is currently under way.

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