Overview
| Stage | Permitting |
| Mine Type | Open Pit |
| Commodities |
|
| Mining Method |
|
| Production Start | ...  |
| Mine Life | 5 years (as of Jan 1, 2018) |
The Akasaba West is a conventionally mined open pit mine project.
During the second quarter of 2022, the Company approved the development of the Akasaba West project. The Akasaba West project is located approximately 30 kilometers from the Goldex mine and is expected to contribute approximately 1,500 tonnes of ore per day. The Company has completed the main activities to prepare the site for production, such as the removal of overburden and the installation of surface infrastructure.
Starting 2024, the Company expects to process ore mined from the Akasaba West property at the Goldex mill. |
Source:
p. 223
Contractors
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Deposit Type
- Hydrothermal
- Orogenic
- Skarn
Summary:
The mineralization zone on the Akasaba West property consists of a low-grade mineralized envelope characterized by the widespread presence of finely disseminated chalcopyrite; the mineralization is primarily contained within the quartz diorite unit.
The gold was thought to be associated with stratiformed disseminated to semi-massive lenses of pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite hosted in mafic lapilli tuffs and brecciated basalt altered with epidote- hornblend-actinolite related to contact metamorphism. The genesis of the deposit remains very controversial. Two master thesis present two different hypothesis. One of those masters (Lev Vorobiev, 1998) supports the hypothesis that the mineralization is emplaced during skarn development whereas the other the (Jeanne Lebel, 1987) was in favor a VMS genesis hypothesis. It is possible that the actual Akasaba deposit characteristics and geometry is a result of an overprinting of several gold mineralization events (hydrothermal, orogenic and skarn).
Summary:
The Akasaba West project is expected to be mined over four years by open pit methods using a conventional shovel/truck operation. The mining rate is expected to be an average of 10,000 tonnes per day (waste and ore) and will feed the Goldex concentrator at a rate of 2,800 tonnes of ore per day.
Flow Sheet:
Crushing
The crushing circuit at Goldex consists of one primary jaw crusher located underground and one secondary cone crusher with a three-deck scalping screen. Nominal circuit capacity is 600 t/h and final crushing product, presented in Table 1, is 100% passing 50.8 mm with a P80 of approximately 32 mm.
Grinding
Ore is conveyed from the crushing circuit to a 7000 live tonne (25 000 total) capacity stockpile protected by a dome to reduce dust and noise. Primary grinding is achieved by a 7.3 m x 3.7 m SAG mill with a steel charge of 18%, maintained by adding 127 mm balls. Lining consists of steel lifters and inserted steel rubber plates. Secondary grinding is done by a 5.0 m x 8.2 m steel and rubber lined ball mill in closed circuit with gravity concentrators. The circulating load averages 200% and the final grinding product P80 is 125 µm.
Flow Sheet:
Summary:
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Projected Production:
| Commodity | Units | LOM |
|
Gold
|
oz
| 115,000 |
|
Copper
|
t
| ...... |
All production numbers are expressed as payable metal.
Operational Metrics:
| Metrics | |
|
Daily mining rate
| 10,000 t * |
|
Daily ore mining rate
| 2,800 t * |
|
Mining scale, tpd
| 10,000 t |
* According to 2018 study.
Reserves at December 31, 2021:
Net smelter value cut-off varies according to mining and depth, not less than C$28.40/t.
As of December 31, 2022, there were no changes in the Mineral Resources and Reserves at Akasaba West compared to December 31, 2021.
| Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
|
Probable
|
5,419 kt
|
Gold
|
0.84 g/t
|
147 koz
|
|
Probable
|
5,419 kt
|
Copper
|
0.48 %
|
25,895 t
|
|
Indicated
|
4,209 kt
|
Gold
|
0.64 g/t
|
86 koz
|
|
Indicated
|
4,209 kt
|
Copper
|
0.38 %
|
16,075 t
|
Commodity Production Costs:
| | Commodity | Units | Average |
|
Total cash costs
|
Gold
|
USD
|
575 / oz *†
|
* According to 2018 study / presentation.
† Net of By-Product.
Source:
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Corporate Filings & Presentations:
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