Construction at Canadian gold miner Roxgold’s Bagassi South gold project, in Burkina Faso, is progressing well, with the miner continuing “to be on track for delivery of first ore from our second mine expected in the fourth quarter”, comments Roxgold president and CEO John Dorward.

Bagassi South is located 1.8 km south of the Yaramoko processing plant, in Burkina Faso.

“Bagassi South contains probable mineral reserves of 458 000 t grading 11.54 g/t gold and is expected to increase the Yaramoko gold mine gold production by an estimated average gold production of 40 000 oz a year to 2023. Bagassi South mine operations would benefit from shared infrastructure, management and support services already in place for the 55 Zone mine,” according to the company.

Further, the miner has received approval from the Burkina Faso Council of Ministers for the Bagassi South mining decree last month.

The decree is an extension of the existing 2013 mining convention currently in place at the 55 Zone and carries the same terms.

Dorward notes that the process plant expansion is also tracking on schedule, with Roxgold looking forward to increasing Yaramoko’s gold production by approximately 40% to 160 000 oz in 2019.

Development and construction at Bagassi South has been advancing well, with overall project completion now at about 55%.

The boxcut excavation is expected to be fully completed this month and portal ground support activities are also nearing completion. The establishment of the collar is also expected to be completed this month, at which point the underground development will start immediately thereafter on schedule.

Further, surface infrastructure elements are also progressing according to schedule and budget. The haulage road, security building, fencing, settling pond, and tailings storage facility embankment raise construction have been completed.

The expansion of a run-off water harvesting facility has also been completed, allowing for increased water capacity at the site. The process plant expansion project, which allows for an increase in throughput from 750 t/d to 1 100 t/d, also continues on schedule. The engineering design and procurement is now completed and fabrication is well advanced. Civils at the plant are completed with construction and operations company Group Five construction personnel ramping up numbers at site.

The overhead power line to Bagassi South is currently under construction and is expected to be completed in early August. The secondary crusher is being manufactured and is expected to be delivered to site in October as planned. Overall project completion is expected in the latter parts of the fourth quarter.