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Sabodala mine, Senegal

11th October 2019

By: Sheila Barradas

Creamer Media Research Coordinator & Senior Deputy Editor

     

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Name: Sabodala mine.

Location: The Sabodala mine is located in south-east Senegal, about 650 km east-south-east of Dakar and 96 km north of Kedougou.

Mine Owner/s: Teranga Gold Corporation (90%) and the Senegal government, with a 10% free-carried interest.

Brief History: The Sabodala deposit was discovered in 1961 following a soil sampling programme by BRGM. From 1961 to 1998, several companies owned and conducted exploration and drilling on the property, including BRGM, Soviet-Senegal Joint Venture (JV), Société Minière de Sabodala-Paget Mining and Eeximcor-Afrique SA.

Despite progressively encouraging results, the project did not progress to production, owing to the gold price and other factors. The only operation at the site was by Eeximcor-Afrique SA, which mined and stockpiled 80 000 t, of which 38 000 t – at a grade of 4.4 g/t gold – were processed, producing about 4 400 oz of gold.

MDL was invited to tender for the exploration and exploitation of the Sabodala deposit and submitted a fully compliant bid for the Sabodala gold project on June 7, 2004. It was advised by the Senegal government of its selection on October 25, 2004. The bid was a JV between SMC (70%) and private Senegalese interests (30%). Exploration drilling began in June 2005. The company subsequently exercised its option to acquire the remaining 30% minority interest for cash and shares.

On May 2, 2007, MDL received mining concession status for Sabodala by decree of the President of Senegal and continued exploration.

The Sabodala openpit started production in March 2009 and has since been in operation. On November 23, 2010, Teranga completed the indirect acquisition of the Sabodala gold mine and a regional exploration package through restructuring and a demerger from MDL.

On April 7, 2015, the Sabodala mining agreement was amended and restated to reflect the incorporation of a larger mining concession area. This included the adjacent Golouma and Gora projects.


Brief Description: The Sabodala mining concession comprises the operating Sabodala mine and mill, the adjacent Golouma and Gora projects, and a group of nearby exploration prospects at different stages of advancement.

The operation has an 11-year mine life.

Primary Metals: Gold.

Secondary Metals: None stated.

Geology/Mineralisation: The Sabodala project is located in the 2 213 mega-annum- to 2 198 mega-annum-age Kedougou-Kenieba inlier, which is situated within the Paleoproterozoic-age Birimian terrane of the West African craton. The inlier is divided into the volcanic-dominated Mako supergroup to the west, and the sediment-dominated Diale-Dalema supergroup to the east. The Sabodala, Masato and Gora deposits, as well as the western portions of the Faleme and near-mine projects are hosted in the Mako belt volcanics. The Mako and Diale-Dalema supracrustal sequences are intruded by a series of variably deformed granitoid intrusions that range in age from 2 160 Ma to 2 000 Ma. Felsic and intermediate composition dykes are often spatially associated with shear zones hosting gold mineralisation, and locally are host to significant gold mineralisation themselves.

Reserves: Total openpit and underground proven and probable mineral reserves as at May 31, 2018, were estimated 55.66-million tonnes grading 1.35 g/t gold.


Resources: Total openpit and underground measured and indicated mineral resources as at May 31, 2018, were estimated at 80.94-million tonnes grading 1.56 g/t gold. Inferred resources were estimated 17.1-million tonnes grading 1.81 g/t gold.

Mining Method: Openpit using conventional truck-and-shovel mining.

Underground mining will be undertaken by cut-and-fill.

Major Infrastructure and Equipment: The mine includes the Sabodala and Masato pits, a processing plant, a power plant, a run-of-mine pad and a tailings storage facility.

The processing plant, with a 4.3-million- to 4.5-million-tonne-a-year capacity, comprises facilities for crushing, grinding, carbon-in-leach (CIL) cyanidation and tailings disposal. Gold recovery facilities include acid washing, carbon elution and electrowinning, followed by bullion smelting and carbon regeneration.

Rear dump haul trucks and front-end loaders deliver run-of-mine ore to the processing plant.

Prospects: The success of the Sabodala gold project and the Terranga’s achievements in corporate social responsibility in the region has given the company a solid reputation in Senegal, and a sound basis for future development within the country and in other neighbouring jurisdictions.

Contact Details:
Teranga Gold Corporation
Tel +1 416 594 0000
Email investor@terangagold.com
Website https://www.terangagold.com

 

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

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