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.

The current Ity mine is a conventional owner mining open pit operation employing articulated trucks (40 t) and hydraulic back hoe excavators (80 t). Currently limited drilling and blasting activities are required at the site as the material mined is mostly oxidised (clays and laterites). This will change in the CIL operation as more fresh material will be mined from the deeper open pits, especially from the deepest Daapleu pit with limited oxidised zone. The mining equipment will also change as the 90 t capacity dump trucks and 120 t class backhoe excavators are selected for CIL operations to sustain the required production rates.

The selected mining method for the Project is conventional open pit excavator-truck operation with the production unit operations (drilling, blasting, loading, hauling and dumping) carried out by owner mining personnel and equipment. Ore and waste production rates will be monitored and material reconciliation will be carried out continuously for the pit areas in production. Mining plans will be updated and production schedule revisions will be issued regularly as the mining progresses.

The pit areas will be cleared of shrubs and trees and these will be dumped to the specified locations. The topsoil from the open pit and waste dump areas will be stockpiled to the designated areas to use later for rehabilitation. The area preparation cost estimates in the feasibility study cost model include both the clearing and topsoil removal operations.

The production drilling and blasting operations will be carried out at 5 m benches. A half bench height (flitch) of 2.5 m will be mined in ore and waste to achieve a high degree of selectivity in loading and hauling operations.

The average blasting powder factor was assumed to be 0.60 kg/bcm (ANFO equivalent) for the transitional and fresh rock with a density above 2.0 t/bcm. The highly weathered zone (clays and laterites) and transitional zone with a density below 2.0 t/bcm will amenable to free digging as per the current mining practice at the site. It is assumed that emulsion will be used in both wet and dry blasting for efficiency.

Grade control drilling will be carried out by a drilling contractor and the samples will be tested in the onsite laboratory. Sampling will commence with grade control drilling ahead of the mining front, aimed at assisting the short to medium term mine planning process. The grade control will be based on 138 mm diameter RC drilling and sampling practice. A grade control pattern of 5 m x 10 m is suggested for 20 m deep holes and 2.0 m vertical sampling intervals. The holes will be angled 60 degrees from the hanging wall side of the ore zones to provide a good intersection with the mineralised structures.

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 CIL project began processing ore on February 20, 2019 and achieved its first gold pour on March 18, 2019, marking the successful completion of the Ity CIL project build in less than 18 months. Pre-commercial production in Q1-2019 amounted to 9koz.

The treatment plant design incorporates the following unit process operations:

• Single stage primary crushing to produce a crushed product size of 100% passing (P100) 300 mm (P80 of 160 mm).
• Transfer conveyor feeding a coarse ore stockpile (12 hours live). Ore reclaim via apron feeders.
• Two stage SAG / Ball milling in closed circuit with hydrocyclones to produce a P80 grind size of 75 µm and including re-crushing of pebbles from the SAG mill.
• Gravity concentration and removal of coarse gold from the milling circuit recirculati ........