PERTH (miningweekly.com) - Gold miner Resolute Mining has identified new oxide mineralisation at satellite deposits at its Syama gold mine, in Mali.
The company on Thursday said that exploration at Syama North had demonstrated potential for a return to oxide mining at areas near the previously mined Beta and BA01 openpits.
“Since 2014, Resolute has established and maintained a very successful oxide mining and processing operation at Syama. Expanding oxide resources and extending the life of this operation is a key objective to our business,” said Resolute MD and CEO John Welborn.
“These results are highly encouraging and reinforce our commitment to exploration and confirm the prospectivity of Resolute’s extensive Syama landholding.”
Gold production from the Syama oxide processing plant is currently sourced from ore mined from the Tabakoroni openpit mine, which will continue until May 2020. Openpit oxide mining of this openpit mine has contributed to significant stockpiles of oxide material, which will be processed during 2021 and 2022.
Following the completion of openpit mining at Tabakoroni, openpit mining of oxide ore will be conducted at the Cashew and Paysans satellite deposits, which are currently estimated to host 100 000 oz and 270 000 oz of gold respectively.
The exploration programme at Syama North is aimed at re-establishing openpit mining operations at the northern satellites to further extend the mine life of the Syama oxide processing.