Modern Mining January 2020

GOLD

blocks adjacent to ore will be mined on 5 m benches while waste more distant to ore will be mined on 10 m benches. The ore will be processed in a conventional 3,3 Mt/a plant consisting of single-stage crushing, SAG and ball milling, gravity and CIL recovery. The ore is particularly hard and careful consideration was given to the design of the comminution circuit in conjunction with the mine drilling and blasting. The optimum grind size of 75 µm was determined from extensive metallurgical test work at a range of grind sizes to optimise cost and recovery. In terms of infrastructure, power for the Yaouré operation will be sourced from the grid via a 6,5 km power line connected to the Kossou hydroelectric power station while the permanent water supply will be sourced from the Bandama River downstream of the station. According to Perseus, the project has strong com- munity support and the company anticipates that

credible West African and international mining con- tractors participated. EPSA, whose current client list includes major gold mining companies such as Newmont, Goldcorp, Agnico Eagle and Yamana Gold, has – according to Perseus – a proven track record of establishing greenfield mining sites in juris- dictions where employment and training from local catchment communities is a priority. Yaouré, which was acquired by Perseus in 2016 as part of its acquisition of Amara Mining (formerly Cluff), lies within the eastern half of the informally named Bouflé greenstone belt. It is located in a rural area on the southern edge of Lake Kossou, 260 km north-west of Abidjan. The Kossou hydroelectric power station is 6 km east of the project. The ore- body has been exploited before with two previous operators having had smallish heap leach operations at the site, which between them produced approxi- mately 257 koz of gold. A DFS was completed on Yaouré in November

The mill structure takes shape.

Concrete work for the primary crusher in progress.

2017 that detailed a US$265 million development producing 215 koz/a of gold at an AISC of US$734/oz over the first five years of operation. Life of mine produc- tion will be 1,4 Moz at an AISC of US$759/oz over 8,5 years. As detailed in the DFS, ore will be sourced from two open pits, CMA and Yaouré, and historical heap leach stockpiles. Mining will be by conventional open-pit min- ing methods utilising hydraulic excavators and trucks. In ore, min- ing bench heights will be 5 m with 2,5 m flitches to minimise ore loss and waste rock dilution. Waste

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