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January 2015
MODERN MINING
13
MINING News
AIM-listed Amara Mining plc has announced an
updated NI 43-101 compliant mineral resource
estimate for its 100 %-owned Yaoure gold project
in Côte d’Ivoire.
The project is now estimated to have a resource
of 6,8 million ounces – 4,4 million in the indicated
category (106,3 Mt at 1,29 g/t) and 2,4 million in
the inferred category (63,0 Mt at 1,19 g/t). The
updated estimate represents a 1,7 million ounce
(63 %) increase in the higher confidence indi-
cated category compared to the mineral resource
update announced in September 2014.
According to Amara, Yaoure is the largest gold
development project in West Africa in terms of
mineral resources. Amara’s total mineral resources
are 9,6 million ounces – apparently the largest
resource base of any London-listed junior miner.
The higher grade indicated mineral resources
Amara lifts Yaoure indicated resources by 63 %
Geologists on site at the Yaoure gold project in Côte d’Ivoire (photo: Amara Mining).
are contained within US$950 and US$800 per
ounce pit shells. The US$950/oz pit shell contains
3,1 million ounces (64, 8 Mt at 1,48 g/t) in the indi-
cated category, a 32 % increase compared to the
September resource update, while the US$800/
oz pit shell contains 2,6 million ounces (50,7 Mt at
1,57 g/t) in the indicated category, a 44 % increase
compared to the previous update.
Amara says there is further exploration upside
as the deposit remains open along strike with
indications of additional gold in parallel structures
to the west (towards surface). A Pre-Feasibility
Study (PFS) is expected in March 2015. Amara
anticipates that this will confirm the compelling
economics outlined in the Preliminary Economic
Assessment (PEA) due to Yaoure’s excellent exist-
ing infrastructure, including the availability of
low-cost hydro-electric power.
Stellar Diamonds plc, the AIM-listed diamond
development company focused on West Africa,
has issued an operational update on the trial min-
ing at its 5 ha Baoulé kimberlite pipe in Guinea.
The trial mining has yielded a total of 2 145
carats to date (early January) at an average grade
of 15 cpht and high quality gems continue to be
recovered including stones of 8,5 ct and 6,6 ct. The
processing plant is running at the target rate of
50 t/h and a monthly production of 2 000 carats is
Trial mining at Baoulé pipe going well
expected, assuming the average grade of 15 cpht
is maintained.
Stellar Diamonds Chief Executive Karl Smithson
commented: “We are pleased with the on-going
progress of the trial mining at Baoulé. The regular
occurrence of larger gem quality stones is highly
encouraging, as is maintaining our target plant
processing capacity and run of mine grade in
order to achieve our objective of processing 2 000
carats per month during 2015.”