Overview
Stage | Production |
Mine Type | Open Pit & Underground |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
- Sub-level caving
- Truck & Shovel / Loader
- Longhole open stoping
- Cemented paste backfill
|
Production Start | ... |
Mine Life | 2033 |
Syama Gold Mine is a large-scale operation, comprising the established Syama Underground Mine, the Tabakoroni Complex and the 3.5Moz Syama North Resource along with several satellite oxide pits, and a 2.4Mtpa sulphide processing circuit and a 1.6Mtpa oxide processing circuit.
The Syama Gold Mine presented several technical challenges over the last five years with its transition from a surface oxide and sulphide mine to a predominantly underground sulphide mine.
Focus turns to converting the oxide plant to be able to also treat these higher margin sulphides. This Phase 1 improvement project is known as the Syama Sulphide Conversion Project (SSCP) will increase the sulphide processing capacity to 4.0 Mtpa. Commissioning expected in the first half of 2025.
Drilling at the Syama North Project continued throughout Q4 in 2023 to extend and upgrade the open pit potential. |
Source:
p. 18
Syama is owned by local subsidiary Société des Mines de Syama S.A. (SOMISY) in which Resolute has an 80% interest and the Government of Mali holds the remaining 20%.
The Tabakoroni complex is 90% owned by Société des Mines de Finkolo S.A. (SOMIFI), and the Government of Mali holds the remaining 10%.
Contractors
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Deposit Type
- Sedimentary - Volcanogenic
- Porphyry
- Vein / narrow vein
Summary:
The Syama Project is found on the northern margin of the Achaean-Proterozoic Leo Shield which forms the southern half of the West African Craton. The project area straddles the boundary between the Kadiana–Madinani terrane and the Kadiolo terrane. The Kadiana-Madinani terrane is dominated by greywackes and a narrow belt of interbedded basalt and argillite. The Kadiolo terrane comprises polymictic conglomerate and sandstone that were sourced from the Kadiana-Madinani terrane and deposited in a late- to syntectonic basin.
Prospects are centred on the NNE striking, west dipping, Syama-Bananso Fault Zone and Birimian volcano-sedimentary units of the Syama Formation. The major commodity being sought is gold.
The Tabakoroni deposit is hosted in upright tightly folded greenstone rocks of the Syama Formation, comprising interbedded basalt and sediment units, and an overlying complex sequence of deep marine and turbiditic sediments. The sequence overlying the basalts contains interbedded carbonaceous units (silts and shales) that are preferentially deformed, and which form the Tabakoroni Main Shear Zone (TMSZ) that lies along the approximate contact of the greenstone-sediment sequence. Gold mineralisation occurs within the TMSZ associated with quartz vein stockworks and stylolitic quartz reefs.
The Tabakoroni Porphyry Zone is located on a NNE trending splay of the NNW oriented Main Tabakoroni Shear Zone. Host rocks are comprised of interbedded greywacke and shale with small intrusi ........
Mining Methods
- Sub-level caving
- Truck & Shovel / Loader
- Longhole open stoping
- Cemented paste backfill
Summary:
Syama Gold Mine is a large-scale operation, comprising the established Syama Underground Mine, the Tabakoroni Complex and the 3.5Moz Syama North Resource along with several satellite oxide pits.
Syama Gold Mine
The mining method for underground exploitation is Sub-level caving.
Tabakoroni
A Pre-Feasibility study determined the mining method would be by long hole open stoping. A minimum stope dip of 30 degrees on the footwall was applied.
A Pre-Feasibility Study was completed on Tabakoroni Underground in late 2020.
Tabakoroni open pit has been in continuous mining operation since August 2018. During this time the performance of the open pit has shown a positive reconciliation between mineral resources and gold production and delivered positive cashflows. Data from the current open pit operations which also applies to the intended underground operation, such as existing infrastructure and ore haulage cost, were used as part of the underground study.
Long hole open stoping is considered the most suitable mining method to extract the underground deposit. Long term support will be providing by backfilling the stopes with cemented paste in the main mineralised zone, create by adding binder to a large supply of highly weathered oxide waste already available on site from the previous open pit mines. Shallower dipping zones in the competent basalt zones will also use open stoping with pillars, where appropriate.
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Source:
Source:
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Flow Sheet:
Summary:
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Source:
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Production:
Commodity | Units | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
Gold
|
oz
| ...... ^ | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | 194,211 |
All production numbers are expressed as metal in doré.
^ Guidance / Forecast.
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Operational Metrics:
Metrics | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
Ore tonnes mined
| ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | 3,389,917 t | 2,804,851 t |
Waste OP
| ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | 4,588,130 bcm | 2,457,516 bcm |
Tonnes processed
| ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | 3,036,913 t | 3,364,308 t |
Plant annual capacity
| ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | | |
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Reserves at December 31, 2023:
Mineral Reserves: Syama Underground mine planning is based on a shut-off grade of 2g/t. Syama Satellite Reserves are reported above 0.8g/t cut-off. Syama North Sulphide Reserves are reported above 1.0g/t cut-off. Tabakoroni Underground Reserves are reported above a 2.75g/t cut-off. Tabakoroni Satellite Reserves are reported above 0.8g/t cut-off.
Mineral Resources: Resources are reported above 1.0g/t cut-off for the Syama North. Resources for the SLC at Syama is reported within an MSO shape generated at 1.5g/t and south of the SLC within an MSO shape generated at 1.5g/t. Resources for the Cashew NE, Paysans, Tellem and Porphyry Zone (Splay) are reported above a cut-off of 1.0g/t. Resources for Tabakoroni Open Pit are reported above a cut-off of 1.0g/t and within a US$2,000 optimised shell. Resources for the Tabakoroni Underground are reported within an MSO shape generated at 1.75g/t (equivalent to US$2,000).
Mineral Resources are reported inclusive of Mineral Reserves.
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
Proven
|
3,063 kt
|
Gold
|
1.5 g/t
|
153 koz
|
Probable
|
44,979 kt
|
Gold
|
2.6 g/t
|
3,804 koz
|
Proven & Probable
|
48,041 kt
|
Gold
|
2.6 g/t
|
3,957 koz
|
Measured
|
31,541 kt
|
Gold
|
2.8 g/t
|
2,872 koz
|
Indicated
|
63,528 kt
|
Gold
|
2.8 g/t
|
5,704 koz
|
Inferred
|
33,376 kt
|
Gold
|
1.6 g/t
|
1,686 koz
|
Total Resource
|
128,445 kt
|
Gold
|
2.5 g/t
|
10,263 koz
|
Corporate Filings & Presentations:
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