Overview
Stage | Production |
Mine Type | Open Pit & Underground |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
- Truck & Shovel / Loader
- Sub-level caving
- Longhole open stoping
- Dry waste backfill
|
Production Start | ...  |
Mine Life | 2026 |
The Chirano gold mine started production in October 2005 with a surface mining operation from three open pits. Surface operations stopped at the end of the second quarter of 2017. Since then, gold production has been primarily from three underground mining operations, until the second quarter of 2019 when surface operations re-commenced. To date, three additional underground mines have been added bringing the total number of underground mines operated by Chirano to six. |
Latest News | Asante Gold Announces Amended Terms for Second Tranche Payment for Chirano Gold Mine February 13, 2023 |
Source:
Company | Interest | Ownership |
Asante Gold Corp.
|
90 %
|
Indirect
|
Chirano Gold Mines Ltd.
(operator)
|
100 %
|
Direct
|
On August 10, 2022, Asante Gold Corp. closed the acquisition of all of the issued and outstanding shares in the capital of Red Back Mining Pty Ltd, which indirectly holds a 90% interest in the Chirano Gold Mine (“Chirano”) pursuant to a share purchase and sale agreement dated April 24, 2022, as amended, (the “Purchase Agreement”) among the Company, KG Africa B.V. (the “Vendor”), an indirect subsidiary of Kinross Gold Corporation (“Kinross”), and Kinross (the “Chirano Acquisition”). The Ghanaian government will continue to retain a 10% carried interest in Chirano.
Contractors
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Deposit Type
- Breccia pipe / Stockwork
- Vein / narrow vein
- Mesothermal
Summary:
The Chirano gold deposits can be described as epigenetic, mesothermal gold deposits, demonstrating a strong structural control and a brittle structural style. They are hosted by mafic volcanics and granite, ranging from stacked parallel veinlet systems to vein stockworks, breccias and cataclasites. The veinlets are dominated by quartz, with lesser ankerite, calcite, albite and traces of pyrite and hematite. The deposits show varying degrees of ankerite-albite-muscovite-pyrite alteration superimposed on earlier hematite alteration.
The deposits occur close to a major fault (the Chirano Shear), and is considered likely that any new deposits found will also be closely associated with faulting. In particular, individual deposits are often closely associated with small dextral jogs in the host structure. Although the currently known gold deposits are in granite, there are also strong gold anomalies in Birimian metasediments elsewhere within the mine area, which require concerted follow-up exploration.
The deposits range in strike length from 150 meters to 700 meters, and range in thickness from a few meters over 70 meters. They vary from rather tabular (Obra, Sariehu, Suraw) to more pipe-like (Tano and Akoti North) morphologies. The longer, the more tabular bodies generally comprise at least two shorter lenticular shoots, such as the Obra main and north lenses. These lenses may be separated by a small dextral jog such as those at Obra and Sariehu. Within th ........

Mining Methods
- Truck & Shovel / Loader
- Sub-level caving
- Longhole open stoping
- Dry waste backfill
Summary:
Chirano is an open-pit and underground operation located in southwestern Ghana, approximately 100 kilometres southwest of Kumasi, the country’s second largest city. Chirano includes the following deposits: Akwaaba, Kolua, Suraw, Akoti, Paboase, Tano, Obra, Sariehu and Mamnao.
The Chirano gold mine started production in October 2005 with a surface mining operation from three open pits. Surface operations stopped at the end of the second quarter of 2017. Since then, gold production has been primarily from three underground mining operations, until the second quarter of 2019 when surface operations re-commenced. To date, three additional underground mines have been added bringing the total number of underground mines operated by Chirano to six.
Chirano mines are utilizing longitudinal modified sub-level caving mining method and a long hole open stoping mining method with waste rock backfill.
Source:

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Flow Sheet:
Summary:

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Production:
Commodity | Units | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Gold Equivalent
|
oz
| ......  | ......  | ......  | 226,699 | 246,027 | 211,954 |
All production numbers are expressed as metal in doré.
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Operational Metrics:
Metrics | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Ore tonnes mined
| ......  | ......  | 2,569 kt | 2,013 kt | 2,410 kt | 2,722 kt |
Annual milling capacity
| ......  | ......  | 3.5 Mt | 3.5 Mt | 3.5 Mt | 3.5 Mt |
Tonnes processed
| ......  | ......  | 3,457 kt | 3,506 kt | 3,438 kt | 3,458 kt |
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Reserves at December 31, 2021:
Mineral reserves Cutoff grade: 0.29 to 1.90 g/t Au.
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
Proven
|
5,600 kt
|
Gold
|
1.5 g/t
|
271 koz
|
Probable
|
10,160 kt
|
Gold
|
2.2 g/t
|
718 koz
|
Proven & Probable
|
15,750 kt
|
Gold
|
2 g/t
|
989 koz
|
Measured
|
9,206 kt
|
Gold
|
1.4 g/t
|
422 koz
|
Indicated
|
18,894 kt
|
Gold
|
1.2 g/t
|
712 koz
|
Measured & Indicated
|
28,100 kt
|
Gold
|
1.3 g/t
|
1,134 koz
|
Inferred
|
6,048 kt
|
Gold
|
1.9 g/t
|
372 koz
|
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