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Kenya

West Kenya Project

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Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit & Underground
StagePreliminary Economic Assessment
Commodities
  • Gold
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
  • Longhole open stoping
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SnapshotThe West Kenya Project Licence Area including Isulu and Bushiangala deposits in Kakamega Camp and Ramula deposit in the Ramula Camp.

In 2023, the West Kenya Project Feasibility Study workstream, led by an internal owners team, will continue.

Early works toward permitting have commenced including data collection for the ESIA. Permitting application is expected to be made in around 12 months (as of 31 December 2023) with a decision potentially in mid-2025.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
ETC Holdings Ltd. 100 % Indirect
On 20 December 2023, the boards of directors of Shanta Gold Limited and Saturn Resources Ltd (Bidco), a wholly-owned subsidiary of ETC Holdings (Mauritius) Limited (ETC Holdings), made an announcement that they had reached agreement, pursuant to which Bidco will acquire the entire issued, and to be issued, share capital of Shanta not already owned by any member of the Bidco Group. It is intended that the Acquisition will be implemented by way of a Court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement.

On 8 May 2024, the board of Shanta Gold Limited announced that the Court had sanctioned the Scheme.

On 10 May 2024, Shanta and Saturn Resources Ltd (Bidco) are pleased to announce that the Scheme has now become Effective in accordance with its terms and the Scheme Shares are now owned by Bidco, and the entire issued share capital of Shanta is owned by the Bidco Group.

Shanta Gold Ltd. owns the high-grade West Kenya Project.

Deposit type

  • Orogenic
  • Vein / narrow vein

Summary:

The West Kenya Project Licence Area including Isulu and Bushiangala deposits in Kakamega Camp and Ramula deposit in the Ramula Camp.

Isulu and Bushiangala
The Liranda Corridor is located on the eastern most margin of the Busia-Kakamega Belt. Here rocks form a broad synclinal structure intruded in the centre by granitoids and dioritoids, informally termed the Kakamega Dome. The Liranda Corridor is situated on the eastern limb of this synclinal structure within a 12 km structural zone known informally as the Liranda Corridor. Lithologies of the Isulu and Bushiangala prospects include sediments, iron-rich basalts, ultramafic volcanic rocks, gabbros, dolerites and small felsic intrusions. The mafic volcanic unit also includes thin layers of sulphidic carbonaceous interflow mudstone.

The Isulu and Bushiangala prospects mineralisation are classified as orogenic, shear-zone-hosted quartz-carbonate vein subtype. Mineralisation of this sub-type consists of quartz-carbonate veins and veinlet arrays associated with Mg-Fe carbonate alteration and sulphidation, which are developed within shear zones and their splays, within competent rock units. Mineralisation is concentrated in zones of enhanced fluid flow, such as jogs or changes in strike along the larger-scale fault zones.

The main zones of mineralisation at Isulu extend up to 240m along strike. The resource estimate (Phase 1) generally includes mineralisation down to 250m depth.

At Bushiangala the mineralisation extends over 270m along strike in the NNW-SSE trend and 150m along strike in the E-W trend. The resource estimate extends to a maximum depth of 250m.

Both deposits remain open along strike and at depth.

Ramula
The Ramula deposit lies primarily within a small dioritoid stock and its contact zones. The stock has intruded a sequence of intermediate volcanic rocks comprised of intermediate volcaniclastic (breccias and tuffs) and volcanic extrusive rocks. The deposit is situated less than 1 km from the district-scale thrust fault and unconformity with the polymictic ‘Timiskamingstyle’ conglomerates. Minor quartz feldspar porphyries are present. The elongate dioritoid body is approximately 300 m by 500 m with a northwest- southeast trending long axis.

Mineralisation at Ramula is hosted within a series of stacked, shallow-dipping, thin quartz tension veins primarily hosted in the strongly altered dioritoid and extending into the surrounding intermediate volcanic units. Gold-bearing quartz veins are clustered in wellidentifiable zones. Lowergrade gold mineralisation also occurs between the veins. The style of mineralisation of the Ramula deposit resembles Sigma-Lamaque style at the Val’d-Or Camp of the Abitibi Gold Belt, Canada, where recent systematic exploration resulted in discovery of several proximal gold deposits within the camp, which was previously considered as overmatured.

Ramula mineralisation is open for extension to the northwest and southeast and Shanta’s recent drilling to 600 m depth confirms mineralisation is open at depth, hence potential for underground mineable resources exists.

The main zones of mineralisation at Ramula extend up to 480m along strike. The resource estimate includes mineralisation down to 225m depth.

The deposit remains open along strike and at depth.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Production

CommodityUnitsAvg. AnnualLOM
Gold oz 105,000949,000

Operational metrics

Metrics
Plant annual capacity  ....  Subscribe
Ore tonnes mined, LOM  ....  Subscribe
Tonnes milled, LOM  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2020 study.

Production Costs

CommodityUnitsAverage
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Gold USD  ....  Subscribe
C1 cash costs Gold USD  ....  Subscribe
All-in costs Gold USD  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Gold USD  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2020 study / presentation.

Operating Costs

Currency2020
Combined mining costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
Processing costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
G&A ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
Total operating costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2020 study.

Project Costs

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
Pre-Production capital costs $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Sustaining CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Total CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
OP/UG OpEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Processing OpEx $M USD 104
G&A costs $M USD 35
Total OpEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Royalty payments $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Gross revenue (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Operating margin, %  ......  Subscribe
EBITDA (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax Cash Flow (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax Cash Flow (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 8% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 10% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 8% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscribe
After-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscribe

Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNamePhoneProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required ........... Subscription required Subscription required Aug 4, 2024
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Aerial view:

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