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September 2015
MODERN MINING
35
feature
COUNTRY FOCUS –
NAMIBIA
and dilution and contin-
ues to fine tune the new
on-site assay lab. This
improvement is expected
to continue as the mine
gets below the complex
upper oxide portion of
the orebody and reaches
primary ore.
The DFS on Otjikoto –
which was based on the
Otjikoto deposit alone
and its probable mineral
reserves of 29,4 million
tonnes at a grade of 1,42 g/t
– estimated a mine life of
12,5 years with an aver-
age annual production of
112 000 ounces. While the
mine life is still estimated
at 12,5 years, annual pro-
duction is likely to be
much higher but the exact
figures will only be known once an updated
mine plan is completed by the end of this year.
B2Gold, however, has already said that annual
gold production will be approximately 200 000
ounces per annum in 2016 and 2017.
The increased production (which is catered
for by the mill expansion) reflects the growing
potential of the Wolfshag zone, located directly
adjacent to the east and north-east of Otjikoto,
which was discovered in late 2011. In January
this year B2Gold announced a significantly
higher grade updated gold mineral resource
estimate for Wolfshag. The updated inferred
mineral resource contains 675 000 ounces of
gold within 2,58 Mt grading 8,14 g/t utilising
a 3 g/t cut-off. This inferred resource is below
a pit shell containing an additional 1,03 Mt at
2,81 g/t gold (93 000 ounces gold) in the indi-
cated category. The previously released initial
inferred resource estimate for the Wolfshag
zone was 6,8 Mt at 3,2 g/t gold containing
703 000 ounces of gold.
B2Gold Namibia currently plans to com-
mence open-pit mining at Wolfshag in 2016.
The conceptual plan would be to blend higher
grade material fromWolfshag with ore from the
Otjikoto pit resulting in an increase in annual
gold production at Otjikoto and improved proj-
ect economics.
The updated mine plan will further evalu-
ate open-pit and underground mining at
Wolfshag. The Wolfshag zone remains open
down plunge to the south-west. In addition,
historic Otjikoto deposit holes such as OT98,
with 16,0 m at 5,07 g/t gold, and OT126, with
3,0 m at 45,84 g/t gold and 26 m at 3,74 g/t gold
including 7,0 m at 11,15 g/t gold (true width
unknown), indicate the exploration potential
of the main Otjikoto high grade shoots below
the existing pit. These shoots could possibly
be mined by underground methods in conjunc-
tion with the Wolfshag resource reported above
a cut-off grade of 3,0 g/t gold.
Otjikoto, of course, has been a major boost
for employment in the Otjiwarongo-Otavi area.
As of the end of July this year, B2Gold Namibia
had 685 employees, of whom 462 were on a
permanent employment contract. Some 97 %
were classed as historically disadvantaged,
17 % were female and less than 1 % were
non-Namibian.
Thus far, according to B2Gold Namibia,
labour relations have been positive. On
27 July this year, B2Gold Namibia and the
Mineworkers’ Union of Namibia (MUN) signed
a Recognition and Procedural Agreement after
the trade union met the required provision of
the 50 % + 1 member representation.
“I am delighted that the MUN and the com-
pany have solidified these structures that will
pave the way towards an honest and mutually
beneficial dialogue,” Mark Dawe said recently,
commenting on the agreement. “Realising the
importance of the Recognition and Procedural
Agreement, both parties went to great lengths to
ensure that it is a fair and comprehensive doc-
ument that will govern and guide this crucial
relationship for the life of Namibia’s newest
mine – the Otjikoto gold mine.”
Photos courtesy of B2Gold Namibia
Otjikoto poured its first
gold in December last year.
Members of the project
team are seen here with the
first gold bar.
The updated mine
plan will further
evaluate open-pit
and underground
mining at
Wolfshag.