Roxgold Close to Commercial Production at Yaramoko


Construction of the processing plant and gold room at Roxgold’s Yaramoko mine in Bukina Faso. The project
is nearing production status after pouring first gold in May. (Photo: Roxgold)
Roxgold Inc. reported that its new, underground Yaramoko gold mine in western Burkina Faso is on track to reach commercial production before the end of September. The project poured its first gold in mid-May and poured 14,482 oz for the reporting period to the end of June. Mill feed grade was averaging 13.4 g/mt gold, and gold recoveries were averaging 97.5%, above design rate of 96.9%.

Opening ceremonies for the Yaramoko mine were held on July 7, with Burkina Faso’s Prime Minister Paul Kaba Thieba and Minister of Mines Alfa Oumar Dissa in attendance, along with other government ministers and high-ranking officials, members of neighboring communities, Roxgold employees, and local media.

Yaramoko is designed to produce an average of 99,500 oz/y of gold over a mine life of 7.4 years, based on probable reserves of 2 million mt grading 11.83 g/mt gold and containing 759,000 oz of gold.

Initial gold production was from development ore. Stoping activities began in July, with delivery of first production ore to the mill scheduled for later in the month. Long-hole open stoping, including uphole retreat in certain areas, is the main mining method, with a limited application of cut and fill for crown pillar mining. Roxgold intends to complete an updated mine plan prior to the end of the year that will incorporate recent resource drilling.

As featured in Womp 2016 Vol 09 - www.womp-int.com