The Ity deposits can be broadly classified as orogenic gold deposits, like most of the Birimian gold deposits with the possible exception of the Tarkwa paleoplacers.

The two different subtypes of hypogene mineralisation in the Ity area are described as:
• Au-Cu-Mo-Ag-W skarns, and
• Au-As-(Sb) shear zones.

Skarn deposits within the Ity Gold Project include Mont lty, lty Flat, ZiaNE and Walter also include the material from which the Aires and Teckraie dumps have been derived. The primary difference between Mont lty and ZiaNE appears to be the lack of karst development at ZiaNE due to the position of the granodiorite in the footwall.

The skarn corresponds to a sulphur rich skarn (pyrite-pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite, 3-10%) with accessory magnetite. These mineralised zones form discontinuous, sub parallel lenses at the contact with the granodiorite. In the north part of the deposit economic grades and thicknesses were intercepted in the drillholes from the 2013 campaign. The sulphide mineralisation was intersected in the carbonates and the granodiorite at ZiaNE and is continuous with the mineralisation in the oxidised portions of the skarn. The mineralised portions of the reduced saprolites correspond to the decarbonation of marble and exoskarn. These are rocks rich in chlorite, tremolite and/or actinolite. The reduced saprolites are the transition zone between the oxidised material and the fresh rock.

The oxidised saprolites form the major part of the mineralisation at Mont lty. The mineralisation was originally a skarn which has undergone severe supergene alteration. The alteration was enhanced by the dissolution of the sulphides. The alteration was responsible for the generation of karst into which the saprolite material collapsed which provides an explanation for the geometry of the deposit.

The Daapleu and Gbeitouo deposits resemble typical shear zone deposits of the West African granite-greenstone terrane. Both deposits are associated with a major regional shear zone but developed on secondary structures. The lithologies can be any form of sediment, carbonate or igneous rock with the main feature being a shear zone between the two contrasting lithologies. Mineralisation may also be spatially related to the emplacement of intrusives. The gold mineralisation is mesothermal in origin and occurs as free gold in quartz vein stockworks and zones of silicification, associated with arsenopyrite and to a lesser extent pyrite and antimony. Depending on the geological terrane other metals may be associated with the gold and arsenic.

The gold mineralisation is found in linear zones in or near the contacts between two different rock types. This contact shows evidence of shearing. Alteration is weak to severe depending on the development of the system.

Ity Gold Mine operates by means of a conventional open pit operation with the loading. hauling and ancillary fleet owned and operated, whilst drilling, blasting, grade control and assaying is contracted. Ore and waste production rates are monitored and material reconciliation carried out continuously for the pit areas in production. Mining plans are updated and the production schedule revised regularly as mining progresses.

The production drilling and blasting operations are carried out on 5m to 10m benches. A half bench height (flitch) of 2.5m is mined in ore to achieve a high degree of selectivity in loading and hauling operations. The average blasting powder factor is between 0.60kg/bcm to 0.80kg/bcm (ANFO equivalent) for the transitional and fresh rock with a density above 2.0t/bcm. The highly weathered zone (clays and laterites) and transitional zone with a density below 2.0t/bcm is classed as free dig as per the current mining practice. Emulsion is used in both wet and dry blasting. The supply of explosives and blasting accessories are contracted out directly to an approved explosives supplier. The explosives contractor provides, in addition to the supply of primary explosives and blasting accessories, mixing equipment and technical blasting advice when needed.

The mined tonnages in the schedule include the quantities reclaimed from stockpiles to supplement mined production from the open pits. Peak production is reached in 2024, and the average tonnes re handled from stockpile is 1.7Mtpa. The average open pit production rate is 16.8Mtpa for the thirteen years of mining operations. Mining production (excluding stockpile removal) systematically increases from 2021 to reach a maximum of 24Mtpa in 2024. The pit production tails off in the last 5 years of mine life.

A grizzly is fitted to the RoM bin to protect the downstream equipment from oversize material. A mobile rock breaker is utilised to break oversize rocks. RoM ore is drawn from the RoM bin at a controlled rate by an apron feeder which discharges over a vibrating grizzly. The grizzly oversize reports to the jaw crusher. The grizzly undersize enables a portion of the feed to bypass the jaw crusher. Both products discharge onto the surge bin feed conveyor. A weightometer on the surge bin feed conveyor measures crusher product. A tramp metal magnet has been ordered and will be installed on this conveyor in 2020. This will be placed ahead of the weightometer to remove any coarse metal to protect the conveyor belts.

Coarse spillage in the crusher area is cleaned up by FEL and transported to the RoM pad for drying or fed directly to the primary crusher. Water sprays are installed for dust suppression as required. A 10t hoist is provided over the jaw crusher to facilitate regular maintenance.

The crusher output is set to outpace the mill feed setpoint. The surge bin feed conveyor discharges onto a 500t live capacity surge bin, which provides 30 minutes feed to the milling circuit to allow for regular maintenance on the crusher. The surge bin feed conveyor discharges into a fixed point in the surge bin which has a partition wall enabling the overflow to rill into a second smaller compartment in the bin and on to a coarse ore stockpile feed conveyor. The coarse ore stockpile has been increased in size in early 2020 to provide 40,000 tonne capacity. Water sprays are installed for dust suppression as required.

Primary ore is reclaimed from the surge bin via a single variable speed apron feeder. In addition, ore can be reclaimed via FEL from the coarse ore stockpile in the event of an extended crusher shutdown. Each of the feeding options is rated to reclaim at the full mill feed rate, though may be run simultaneously to ensure a regular feed to the SAG mill and to compensate for different material types or hang-ups in the surge bin. The surge bin is fitted with air blasters to reduce such hang-ups.

The grinding circuit consists of an SABC circuit with hydrocyclones.

The SAG mill is 8.50m dia x 4.35m EGL complete with a 6,000kW variable speed drive and operates at up to a maximum 18% volumetric ball loading. Variable speed control of the mill, accomplished through a Variable Voltage Variable Frequency (“VVVF”) system, provides flexibility for processing of the various ore types. A speed range of 60% to 80% critical speed is available, though the mill can be slowed down further for softer ore types. SAG mill steel ball grinding media is typically 100mm to 125mm diameter.

The SAG mill product discharges into a vibrating single deck heavy duty pebble dewatering screen fitted with a nominal 15mm aperture polyurethane screen deck. Undersize from the screen feeds the mill discharge hopper. The oversize pebbles (nominally +15mm) are transferred via a transfer conveyor to a pebble crusher feed bin ahead of a single 250kW pebble crusher.

A single stage of tramp metal removal via a self-cleaning belt magnet across the pebble transfer conveyor is used to remove mill balls and any other magnetic steel debris discharged from the SAG mill. Tramp metal is deposited in a bunker area with concrete walls on three sides which provides access for metal removal and protection to personnel in the area. Metal detection provides a final level of protection against metal entering the pebble crusher. Upon detection of metal, the flop gate at the head of the transfer conveyor is activated and the ore stream can bypass the pebble crusher surge bin for a predetermined period and is deposited directly onto the SAG mill feed conveyor.

The pebble crusher surge bin can hold approximately 25 minutes capacity to improve steady state operation of the pebble crusher. This design allows for use of a single pebble crusher to meet the expected pebble load as the competence of the ore is moderate.

A variable speed vibrating feeder transfers the pebbles at a controlled rate from the surge bin into the pebble crusher. Pebbles are crushed from a nominal top size of 75mm to a P80 of approximately 12mm. The pebble crusher operates at a closed side setting of 11mm, depending on ore competency, moisture content and crusher power draw. Product from the pebble crusher is transferred to the SAG mill feed conveyor. An overhead hoist is provided to facilitate crusher maintenance.

A 6.10m dia x 9.05 m EGL overflow ball mill complete with a 6,000kW variable speed drive operates at up to 35% volumetric loading of steel balls. Variable speed control of the mill, accomplished through a VVVF system, provides greater control during the plant start-up or shutdown phase. Product size from the grinding circuit is 80% passing 75µm on 100% primary ore. The ball mill is set at a fixed speed operating at 100% of the critical speed.

Ball mill grinding media is 50mm diameter balls and is stored in bags adjacent to the grinding area. Grinding media is loaded via a kibble and hoist, into the ball mill feed chute.

Mining and stacking activities for the heap leach operation ceased in mid-December 2018 as the focus shifted to commissioning and ramping up the CIL plant.

The Ity Carbon-In-Leach Plant (“Ity CIL Plant”) processes a range of ore types (oxide, transition and fresh) with variable ore characteristics, gold grades and metallurgical treatment requirements. The primary ores (Fresh) are significantly more competent than the oxide ores.

Processing trials conducted in November 2019 and February 2020 indicated that low grade (<1.2g/t) primary ore can achieve a recovery of 76%. Further trials and testwork is underway to determine whether increased recoveries can be achieved from the high-grade portion of the Daapleu primary ore.

By contrast to some of the primary ore types, oxide ores are free milling with leach extraction of 90% to 96%. Mill feed requirements are supplemented successively with oxide material from Ity Flat, Mont Ity, Gbeitouo, Walter and Zia NE.