Mining Intelligence and News
Liberia

Ndablama Mine

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Overview

Mine TypeUnderground
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Gold
Mining Method
  • Drift & Fill
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotNdablama Open pit mining commenced in 2021 and was completed in 2023. Mining of the down-dip extension of the mineralization is continued by underground operation.

All the ore is transported to the plant at New Liberty via a 45km haul road.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Government of Liberia 10 % Indirect
MNG Group 90 % Indirect
Avesoro Resources Inc. holds its interests in the Ndablama Mine through its subsidiary Bea Mountain Mining Corporation (“Bea”).

Avesoro established in 2013 as a subsidiary of MNG Group of Turkey.

Deposit type

  • Vein / narrow vein
  • Hydrothermal
  • Breccia pipe / Stockwork

Summary:

The Ndablama gold target is underlain by Archean greenstone comprised of amphibolite gneisses and ultramafic rocks.

Geologically, Ndablama is subdivided into three main entities, designated the Northern, Central and South Eastern zones. The general geology of Ndablama consist of mafics and ultramafic rocks. The mafic package consists of amphibolite schists and gneisses which envelope a series of ultramafic schists. The ultramafic rocks have been subdivided into magnetite-rich and magnetite-poor zones. The ultramafic and mafic rocks are located close to the contact with a large granitic batholith to the east. The metavolcanic sequence has been intruded by granitic sills.

A simplified lithological sequence of Ndablama comprises three distinct packages:
- The hangingwall is comprised of a package of amphibolite gneisses sparsely intercalated with granitic gneiss and deformed granitic intrusions. Towards the base of the package bands of magnetite-rich ultramafics can also be found.
- The middle package of amphibolite and ultramafic schists. The ultramafics are comprised of tremolite- chlorite with either magnetite of phlogopite, and biotite. Occasionally, this package is intruded by granite breccias and quartz-rich veins usually along the contact zone between the mafic and ultramafic rocks. This package is host to the mineralisation zone.
- A lower package (the footwall) which is made up of more amphibolite and granitic gneiss units which are intruded by microcline granite and has weak hematite alteration.

Ndablama Alteration and Mineralisation
Gold mineralisation is associated with hydrothermal alteration and disseminated sulphides and is related to shear deformation which follows the granite-metavolcanic contact zone.

Alteration is consistently defined by silicification, magnetite destruction, phlogopite, and chlorite, with phlogopite dominating the relationship. Magnetite destruction within the ultramafics has been identified as having a direct relationship with gold mineralisation.

The mineralisation is located within a sheared package of ultramafic and mafic rocks intercalated within a gneiss sequence overlying/adjacent to a granite batholith. The mineralization consists of three bodies; the central zone 430 m long has been drilled to vertical depth of 290 m, southern-eastern zone which has 300 m strike length has been tested to 120 m depth, and the last zone, along north to south direction, which has about 1300 m strike length has been drilled to 360 m vertical depth. All have shallow westerly- dip (25° on average) and strike north-south. The dip of the orebody decreases with depth. Mineralisation continues to the north but at a lower grade.

Sheared amphibolite schists with biotite/phlogopite and ultramafic tremolite chlorite schists host the gold mineralisation at Ndablama, with occasional magnetite-poor ultramafics and intrusive granites also containing mineralisation. Petrography carried out during 2014 shows that the gold is associated with disseminated pyrite and pyrrhotite and trace chalcopyrite (Thatcher, 2014).

Some of the gold mineralisation Is coarse and visible gold is consistently observed in most of the drillholes. It occurs mainly within the intensely silicified parts but can also occur within less altered amphibolites or ultramafics.

Gold often occurs at sheared contact zones between ultramafic and mafic rocks that have been intruded by granite dykes and breccias. The breccia often marks the end of the gold mineralisation. Spatially, gold mineralisation remains open in all directions.

Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Production

CommodityUnits2023
Gold koz  ....  Subscribe
All production numbers are expressed as metal in doré.

Operational metrics

Metrics2023
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Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Personnel

Mine Management

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