Modern Mining December 2018

MINING News

Ausenco appointed for FEED work for Achmmach

ASX-listed Kasbah Resources has appointed Ausenco Services to under- take Front End Engineering Design (FEED) work for its Achmmach tin project in Morocco. Kasbah released a highly positive new and updated Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) for the Achmmach project in July 2018, which confirmed its status as a world class, development-ready tin project. The company is now focused on secur- ing project financing, offtake partners, a mining contractor and an Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) contrac- tor to build the project. Ausenco will undertake its work between November 2018 and February 2019, with the aim of enhancing and improving the design and efficiencies in the processing plant, thereby reduc- ing risk and targeting an improved EPC tender price for the construction of the processing plant. The scope of the FEED includes: opti- misation of process plant layout and design; reduction of the overall project costs through efficient design and effec- tive sourcing of materials, including from the Mediterranean region; and reduction of the project schedule through effective planning and optimisation of construction strategies. The Achmmach project includes a pro- posed underground mine with an initial 10-year life, producing 750 000 tonnes of ore per annum at an average head grade of 0,82 % tin (Sn). The associated process- ing plant will incorporate ore sorting and High-Pressure Grinding Rolls (HPGR) tech- nology to produce approximately 4 500 tonnes of tin per annum in a 60 % tin concentrate. 

The Achmmach site. The project is located approximately 40 km south-west of the city of Meknès in central northern Morocco (photo: Kasbah).

Exploration Target determined for Sanankoro Cora Gold Limited, theWest African focused gold exploration company, reports that SRK Consulting (UK) has determined an initial Exploration Target of between 30 and 50 million tonnes of gold ore at a grade of between 1,0 and 1,3 g/t Au for its Sanankoro gold project in southern Mali.

defining the scale potential of the project has been vindicated before reverting to more focused drilling to identify areas of higher grade mineralisation, which might be suitable as ‘starter pits’ for any future standalone gold mine. In addition, large tonnages of oxide ore, which inmany places is represented by soft saprolitic ore, might be anticipated to be amenable to low cost mining and processing which could also be beneficial for the early stages of mine development. “The review by SRK will now act as a springboard for the next stage of our strat- egy where we will be seeking to define the strike extent and depth potential of the higher grade zones that the first round of drilling has indicated may exist.” 

“It is very pleasing to have our opinion on the gold potential of the Sanankoro proj- ect confirmed by this independent review by SRK,” Dr Jonathan Forster, Cora’s CEO, commented.“That the Exploration Target of 1,0-2,0 Moz is taken only to a vertical depth of 100 m in an environment where depth of oxidation ranges from about 50 m to in excess of 100 m suggests that the potential for significant upside remains at depth. “We are pleased that our strategy of first

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