Resolute CEO John Welborne
PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Gold miner Resolute Mining has started ore production from the new Syama underground mine, in Mali.
MD and CEO John Welborne said on Friday that the successful development of the Syama underground mine represented a pivotal moment in the history of the company.
“Syama will be the world’s first, purpose built, fully automated sublevel cave gold mine. It is a world class, long life, low cost asset that will deliver long-term benefits to our shareholders, stakeholders, and local Mali communities for years to come.”
Some 400 000 t of developing and long hole stoping ore have been extracted from the underground mine since construction started in 2016. Mining rates are expected to gradually build up over the first half of 2019, and will reach nameplate capacity of 200 000 t/m, or 2.4-million tonnes a year, by the end of June next year.
“Syama will be the most sophisticated and advanced gold mine in Africa. Our investment in exploration, infrastructure, technology, power and innovation at Syama has transformed a world-class orebody into a world class mine,” said Welborne.
“The combination of mine automation, improved recoveries, and lower cost power has the potential to increase Syama site production to 300 000 oz/y and reduce life-of-mine all-in sustaining costs to below $750/oz.
“The Syama underground mine is an achievement that builds on Resolute’s African development expertise demonstrated in earlier successes at Obotan and Golden Pride. The new mine also builds on the company’s underground technical achievements demonstrated in pioneering the sublevel shrinkage mining method at the Mt Wright underground mine, in Queensland.”