JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – West Africa-focused gold miner Perseus Mining has appointed ASX-listed Lycopodium to undertake 50% of the scope of work for the development of its Sissingué gold mine development, in Côte d’Ivoire.

Perseus’s in-house development team will supervise the balance of the scope of works, with procurement for this portion of the works under way.

Lycopodium was awarded the engineering, procurement and construction management (EPC) contract for Sissingué and has also completed the definitive feasibility study (DFS) and front-end engineering and design for the project.

First gold at Sissingué is expected to be poured in the December 2017 quarter.

Perseus reported in a statement on Monday that it was progressing towards obtaining final credit approval and documentation of a $60-million financing facility, which together with $40-million of Perseus’s cash, would fully fund the cost to complete the project’s development.

Meanwhile, the mining company also awarded a $120-million contract for the mining of the Esuajah North (ESN) openpit at its Edikan gold mine, in Ghana, to African Mining Services (AMS), a Ghanaian contract mining subsidiary of mining services company Ausdrill.

AMS is currently contracted to mine the Fetish and Chirawewa openpits at the project. “Construction of housing needed to accommodate former residents of the mine take area is proceeding on track, while grade control drilling at ESN is also under way,” the company noted.

Full-scale mining at the project is expected in October; however, the mine delivered 21 000 oz quarter-to-date, ahead of target.

At its Yaouré project, also in Côte d’Ivoire, a contract for 42 000 m of diamond and reverse circulation infill drilling, as well as 40 000 m of rotary air blast sterilisation drilling was signed with Geodrill.

By month-end, four drill rigs are expected to be mobilised to site. The company also expects to complete its DFS for the mine by month-end.