Overview
Stage | Production |
Mine Type | Open Pit |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
|
Production Start | ...  |
Mine Life | 7 years (as of Jan 1, 2021) |
Source:
p. 22
Company | Interest | Ownership |
Government of Burkina Faso
|
10 %
|
Indirect
|
Endeavour Mining plc
|
90 %
|
Indirect
|
SEMAFO Boungou S.A.
(operator)
|
100 %
|
Direct
|
The Boungou License is held by Semafo Boungou SA. Endeavour, indirectly through its subsidiary Semafo (Barbados) Ltd., holds a 90% stake in Semafo Boungou SA. The remaining 10% interest in Semafo Boungou SA is held by the State of Burkina Faso.
Contractors
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Summary:
The Tawori exploration permit (initially the Boungou exploration permit), which contains the Boungou gold deposit, lies within the Diapaga greenstone belt, a northeast-southwest orientated belt that extends over 250 km in length and over 50 km in width. Endeavour holds four contiguous permits, collectively known as the Tapoa permit group, covering approximately 70 km in strike length along the Diapaga belt.
The stratigraphy at Boungou is relatively simple and quite consistent from hole to hole. The stratigraphy consists of two volcanic flows separated by a volcaniclastic unit. The footwall flow generally progresses upwards from a massive basalt flow to pillowed flows followed by flow breccia and volcaniclastics. The hangingwall is characterized by a medium grained volcanic flow (or sill). All these units are intruded by diorite and/or granodiorite sills, possibly originating from the felsic intrusion located immediately west of the deposit. Late dolerite dykes are also present and appear to be sub-vertical and strike northwest. The Boungou Shear Zone, which hosts the main gold mineralization at Boungou, is located at the contact between the footwall and hangingwall volcanic units, where the volcanic flow top breccias have formed and the volcaniclastics deposited. The contact zone is thought to have served as an area of weakness, focusing the deformation. While the volcaniclastic units are not always present (although the intensity of the alteration can make it dif ........

Summary:
Mining uses a conventional open-pit mining method, with hydraulic excavators in backhoe configuration to mine both the mineralized zone and waste. The majority of the rock requires blasting and only the softer material located within the top 5m to 10m of the deposit is free digging and loaded directly by hydraulic excavators.
Mine production was halted on November 6, 2019 due to a security incident on the main route to Boungou. The Boungou Mine was put on care and maintenance for the rest of the year. On February 6, 2020, the Boungou plant was restarted and began processing the stockpile. Open pit mining restarted in July 2020 with a local contractor undertaking load and haul. Full contract mining with SFTP contractors started on October 15, 2020.
Rock mass characterization indicated a very thin Saprolite/Saprock domain (7 m to 15 m thick) underlain by very strong and competent metabasalts and metavolcanic sediments fresh rock mass domain. Structural fabric (joint and bedding) control pit wall stability.
The average annual rainfall at Boungou is 784 mm, with a wet season from June to September. The geology of the pit comprises metabasalts and metavolcanic sediments with a relatively flat mineralized shear zone. Historical records indicate that dewatering rates peak in August (90000 m3 ). Groundwater contribution is in the order of 5000 m3/month (167 m3/day).
Open pit mine production at Boungou averages approximately 3,600 t/d of or ........

Source:

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Flow Sheet:
Summary:

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Reserves at December 31, 2021:
Cut-off grades for the resources are: oxide at 0.91g/t Au, transition at 0.91g/t Au, sulphide at 1.09 g/t Au;
Cut-off grades for the reserves are: oxide: 1.20g/t Au; transitional: 1.30g/t Au; fresh: 1.30g/t Au.
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
Proven
|
0.6 Mt
|
Gold
|
1.95 g/t
|
39 koz
|
Probable
|
9.3 Mt
|
Gold
|
3.61 g/t
|
1,075 koz
|
Proven & Probable
|
9.9 Mt
|
Gold
|
3.51 g/t
|
1,114 koz
|
Measured
|
0.6 Mt
|
Gold
|
2.04 g/t
|
40 koz
|
Indicated
|
10.5 Mt
|
Gold
|
3.95 g/t
|
1,336 koz
|
Measured & Indicated
|
11.1 Mt
|
Gold
|
3.85 g/t
|
1,376 koz
|
Inferred
|
0.1 Mt
|
Gold
|
4.89 g/t
|
14 koz
|
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