Name: North Mara mine.
Location: The North Mara gold mine is located in north-west Tanzania, in the Tarime district of the Mara region.
Holding and Controlling Company: Acacia Mining.
Brief Description: The mine is a combination of the Nyabirama openpit and the Gokona underground deposits.
Brief History: Acacia Mining (formerly African Barrick Gold), acquired North Mara in February 2006, as part of the placer dome acquisition.
North Mara started commercial production in 2002.
The mine has produced more than two-million ounces of gold since 2002 and the current life-of-mine is estimated to be nine years based on proven and probable gold reserves of two-million ounces.
Products: Gold.
Geology/Mineralisation: The North Mara mine is situated within the Mara greenstone belt. The underlying geology comprises felsic and mafic volcanics intercalated with sediments, which are intruded by various granitoid and gabbroic plutonic rocks.
Tertiary volcanic lava flows partially cover the underlying Archaean geology and the orebodies are structurally controlled, sheer-hosted lode gold deposits. There are several types of gold mineralisation, including shear-zone-related quartz vein and disseminated gold.
Reserves: Total proven and probable reserves for Gokona as at December 31, 2017, were estimated at 6.65-million tonnes grading 6.26 g/t gold.
Total proven and probable reserves for North Mara stockpiles as at December 31, 2017, were estimated at 4.70-million tonnes grading 0.95 g/t gold.
Total proven and probable reserves for North Mara openpit as at December 31, 2017, were estimated at 15.14-million tonnes grading 1.74 g/t gold.
Resources: Total measured and indicated mineral resources for Gokona underground as at December 31, 2017, were estimated at 570-million tonnes grading 3.94 g/t gold.
Total inferred resources for Gokona underground as at December 31, 2017, were estimated at 2.64-million tonnes grading 5.08 g/t gold.
Total measured and indicated mineral resources for Nyabirama underground as at December 31, 2017, were estimated at 3.76-million tonnes grading 3.84 g/t gold.
Total inferred resources for Nyabirama underground as at December 31, 2017, were estimated at 3.21-million tonnes grading 3. 86 g/t gold.
Total mineral resources for Nyabigena underground as at December 31, 2017, were estimated at 1.23-million tonnes grading 3.19 g/t gold.
Total measured and indicated mineral resources for North Mara openpit as at December 31, 2017, were estimated at 6.66-million tonnes grading 1.95 g/t gold.
Mining Method: Underground and openpit.
Major Infrastructure and Equipment: The mine has a processing plant that has the capacity to process an average of 8 000 t/d of ore.
The mine uses truck and shovel/loaders, longhole open stoping and cemented backfill.
Prospects: During 2018 Acacia will continue to progress the drilling programmes at Gokona. Drilling in 2017 led to a doubling of underground reserves to 1.3 000 oz at a grade of 6.3 g/t.
At Nyabirama, the company is also progressing the permitting for an underground exploration decline, with this process is expected to be completed in 2018.
Contact: Acacia general manager investor relations & communications Giles Blackham.
Contact Details:
Acacia Mining
Tel +44 20 7129 7150
Email ir@acaciamining.com