Modern Mining October 2019

GOLD

been received by Perseus. These are currently being assessed. 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. According to Perseus, the project has strong community support and the company anticipates that this will strengthen as development progresses and greater benefits flow to the local population. The successful model for community engagement employed at Sissingué will be implemented at Yaouré. Perseus believes there is plenty of scope for the existing mine life of Yaouré to be extended given the company has a highly prospective 360 km 2 land package in the area. In addition, the company announced in November last year that a preliminary inferred mineral resource had been estimated for a potential underground mining operation to supple- ment the CMA open pit. A scoping study on the underground resource – which totals 3,0 Mt at a grade of 6,2 g/t gold for 595 000 ounces of gold – has indicated that it appears amenable to extraction using mechanised underground room-and-pillar mining methods. Underground access from the CMA pit combined with the selected mining method will significantly reduce the capital development requirements should underground mining go ahead in the future. Photos courtesy of Perseus Mining

The construction camp has been completed.

The ore is particularly hard and careful consideration was given to the design of the comminution circuit.

The ore will be processed in a conventional plant consisting of single- stage crushing, SAG and ball milling, gravity and CIL recovery. waste rock dilution. Waste blocks adjacent to ore will be mined on 5 m benches while waste more distant to ore will be mined on 10 m benches. During the DFS a competitive ‘Request for Quotation’ involving five mining contractors currently operating in West Africa was completed. The equip- ment selected by the mining contractors consisted of between 24 and 30 trucks in the 100-tonne capacity class and a combination of 100-140 tonne excavators for mining in ore and 200-300 tonne excavators for mining in bulk waste. The permanent mining services contract is due to be awarded in the December quarter this year in time for the successful contractor to mobilise new equipment to site to commence pre-stripping of the CMA pit in the second half of 2020. A mix of local and international mining contractors have ten- dered for the work and eight credible offers have

October 2019  MODERN MINING  21