Modern Mining July 2018

MINING News

Avesoro updates resource and reserve estimate for Youga

first section of the plant, comprising the crusher and the conveying systems, is also complete. Gamsberg has just begun feeding ore to the front end of the plant (run-of-mine crusher, conveyor and coarse ore stockpile sections) to build the required crushed ore stockpile. The building up of crushed ore stock in readiness for feeding ore to the mills and downstream flotation and dewatering sections of the plant is sched- uled for the end of July, which is when the important milestone of first ore feed to the semi-autogenous and ball mills should be achieved. Thereafter, first product from the concentrator plant filter is expected by early September. The ‘business partner’ for the concen- trator plant operations and maintenance is fully mobilised on site and is engaged in commissioning activities. VZI says the death of a business part- ner employee at the end of May has led to a renewed focus on safety. Immediately after the tragedy, the company took a number of decisions beyond those required by the regulator, including sus- pending construction operations at the plant and intensive safety retraining of all business partner employees across the entire site. Including the time taken for ramping operations down and then back up again, this has meant that some con- struction timelines have been affected, by up to two weeks. Around 90 % of Gamsberg’s perma- nent operational staff, expected to be a total of 700, have already been recruited and ‘on-boarded’ in readiness for the com- mencement of full operations. Gamsberg is targeting both the pro- duction of saleable concentrate and the first truck shipment of that concentrate by the end of Q2 2018/19 (September 2018). Ramp up to the full 4 Mt/a is expected within 9-12 months from the first ore feed. The operations team is fully on-boarded and is working to ensure a smooth opera- tional ramp up. The Gamsberg Smart Ore Movement digitalisation project announced in November 2017 is on track to go live during August – it will provide real-time stockpile and blending management solutions to de-risk the ramp up of the concentrator. Vedanta says that implementation of the Social and Labour Plan (SLP) is progressing in line with original commitments. 

Azeez, who has more than 17 years of project management experience in inter- national engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) lump sum and reimburs- able projects, recently won the prestigious 2018 European Woman in Construction & Engineering award for best project manager. She brings a wide range of skills to the region that include commercial and contract management, project execution strategy, cost management and profit enhancement, team building and leadership.   “I am looking forward to confirming the status of the Fluor South African office as a centre of excellence for EPC services in Sub- Saharan Africa. We have a proven team of professionals working across energy and chemicals, mining and metals, power and life sciences business sectors here on the African continent,” said Azeez. Fluor is a global engineering, pro- Avesoro Resources Inc has announced the results of an updated mineral resource and mineral reserve estimate for its Youga gold mine in Burkina Faso. The total mineral reserve has increased by 29 %, or 147,4 koz to 660,1 koz of gold while the total measured and indicated mineral resource has increased by 15 % to 924,2 koz of gold grading 1,73 g/t Au. As a result, mine life has been extended by two years to 2027, with total forecast gold production of 614 koz. Pre-tax NPV has increased by 42 % to US$188,3 million and post-tax NPV to US$151,6 million. LOM all- in-sustaining costs have been reduced to US$920/oz. Further mineral resource and mineral reserve upgrades at Youga are expected to be announced in Q1 2019 from ongoing infill drilling programmes with six diamond drill rigs currently active. Commenting, Serhan Umurhan, CEO of Avesoro Resources, said: “This updated mineral resource and mineral reserve esti- mate for Youga consolidates the results of the successful 2017 drilling campaign

undertaken in Burkina Faso, and increases the mineral resources and reserves at the Youga mine itself as well as at the high grade Balogo deposit that provides ore to the Youga processing plant.” He said the latest upgrade of resources and reserves was viewed as an interim step. “We have added substantially to the value of the Youga gold mine since the company acquired it for US$70,2 million in December 2017 and – with our ongoing drilling programme of 139 000 metres in Burkina Faso this year – we fully expect to add further years to the Youga life of mine. “In anticipation of further growth in mineral reserves, we are evaluating options for optimising the Youga process plant to allow the 2018 annual production guidance of 110 – 120 koz to be main- tained in subsequent years by increasing mill throughput.” Avesoro, which also operates the New Liberty Gold Mine in Liberia, is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the AIM market operated by the London Stock Exchange. 

Fluor appoints new General Manager in South Africa Tolani Azeez has been appointed General Manager for Fluor in South Africa, based in Woodmead, Johannesburg.

Tolani Azeez, Fluor South Africa’s first female GM.

curement, fabrication, construction and maintenance company and has been opera- tional in Africa for thanmore than 57 years. 

July 2018  MODERN MINING  5