Modern Mining June 2016

WEST AFRICA

Fekola destined to be Mali’s second biggest gold mine Foundation formwork of the primary crusher structure. Some 4 million tonnes of ore per year will be processed through this structure. Canada’s B2Gold Corp, listed on the TSX, NYSE MKT and the Namibian Stock Exchange, reports good progress on its Fekola project in Mali, which it says is on course to start gold production in late 2017. With a planned annual production of 350 000 ounces in the first seven years of its life, Fekola will be the second biggest gold mine in Mali (after Randgold’s Loulo-Gounkoto Complex) and certainly the biggest in B2Gold’s stable, which currently comprises four operating gold mines, including the highly successful Otjikoto mine in Namibia which was officially opened in June last year.

C ompleted on time and within budget, Otjikoto is arguably a text book case of efficient project im- plementation and B2Gold is look- ing to repeat this success in Mali. Indeed, the same team that built Otjikoto, led by Bill Lytle (now B2Gold’s Senior Vice Presi- dent of Operations), is responsible for Fekola and is working closely with engineers Lycopo- dium to deliver the project. B2Gold’s strategy is to minimise the use of contractors and build projects using its own internal resources and this same formula is being followed at Fekola. Initial construction activities started in

February 2015. These early works included the construction of a new 40 km road to the site to allow year-round access and an on-site airstrip, the establishment of a concrete batch plant, construction of the camp pad and the start of clearing within the mill footprint. The pace of work intensified later in the year, with the official ground-breaking ceremony occurring in late November 2015. Since then, the first piles have gone in, the first concrete pours have taken place, the first phase of the permanent camp has been built, the tailings dam walls have been materially completed (excluding a small opening to allow

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24  MODERN MINING  June 2016