Modern Mining December 2019

MINING news

Record plant throughput at Yaramoko

been approved by Kenmare’s board. WCP B began mining the Namalope ore zone in 2013 and is expected to com- plete the current mine path in Q3-2020. All ore zones within the Moma portfolio were considered for the relocation of WCP B but Pilivili was selected due to the favourable combination of higher grades, strong co- product credits and free flowing sand with low slimes, enabling ease of mining and processing. Additionally, Pilivili is located 23 km from Namalope and the existing Mineral Separation Plant (MSP), allowing for ease of heavy mineral concentrate (HMC) transportation by pipeline. Pilivili has a mine life of eight years, after which WCP B will mine its way to the adjacent ore zones of Mualadi and Nataka. Consequently, Kenmare believes that the relocation of WCP B from Namalope to Pilivili will be the only move of this kind that is necessary during WCP B’s economic life. The DFS was completed by Hatch Africa, a specialist EPCM consulting firm with strong experience in mineral sands, and overseen by Kenmare’s project devel- opment team. It included an independent peer review process. A number of different methods of relocating WCP B to Pilivili were consid- ered, including disassembly/reassembly and alternate transportation options for the assembled plant by road and/or sea. Moving the assembled plant by road has the lowest risk profile and, accordingly, Kenmare will appoint a specialist heavy lifting and transport contractor to relocate WCP B and its dredge by road. The contractor will use self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs) to transport WCP B out of its mining pond at Namalope, along the purpose-built road, including a causeway estuary crossing into the new mining pond at Pilivili. 

“Yaramoko had a good operational per- formance during the third quarter with the processing plant achieving record quar- terly throughput and the mine achieving an operating cost of US$148 per tonne processed. In September, we reached commercial production at Bagassi South, bringing online our second high-grade gold mine at Yaramoko,” said John Dorward, President and CEO of Roxgold. “Looking ahead, increased stop- ing activity at Bagassi South and higher mined grades have driven strong operat- ing results to start the fourth quarter, with approximately 16 000 ounces recovered at a head grade of 11,5 g/t in October. As a result, we expect to reach the lower end of our production guidance range for 2019.” 

TSX-listed Roxgold Inc mined 131 366 tonnes and achieved record quarterly plant throughput of 144 036 tonnes (which exceeded nameplate capacity of 1 100 tonnes per day) at its Yaramoko mine in the quarter ended 30 September 2019. Yaramoko is located on the Houndé green- stone belt in Burkina Faso. Yaramoko comprises the 55 Zone mine and the nearby Bagassi South mine, which are both underground operations shar- ing the same plant. Bagassi South is the newer of the two operations, with commer- cial production having been achieved in September 2019. During the reporting period, 34 200 ounces of gold were sold for US$50,2 mil- lion. The cash operating cost was US$510/ oz produced and the AISC US$834/oz sold.

The Bagassi South mine which forms part of Yaramoko (photo: Roxgold).

December 2019  MODERN MINING  9