Mining Intelligence and News
Mauritania

Tijirit Project

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Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StagePermitting
Commodities
  • Gold
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotFollowing the acquisition of Algold in June 2021, the Aya Gold & Silver launched a feasibility study (Tijirit FS) to assess the potential for developing Tijirit.

The Tijirit FS, which focuses on the Eleonore and Eleonore East deposits, includes a base case scenario of a 1,000 tpd processing plant that can be expanded to 2,000 tpd.

In Q4-2023, an internal technical report was compiled and presented to the Mauritanian government. The external Tijirit FS incorporating an updated NI-43-101 mineral resource estimate is still pending.

The Corporation plans further exploration and evaluation in 2024.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Wafa Mining & Petroleum SA 10 % Indirect
Government of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania 15 % Indirect
Aya Gold & Silver Inc. 75 % Indirect
Société Tijirit Exploitation SA (Tirex S.A.) (operator) 100 % Direct
On June 11, 2021, Aya Gold & Silver Inc. announced the closing of the acquisition of Algold Resources Ltd.

Aya Gold & Silver Inc. controls 100% of Algold Resources Ltd and is the 75% owner-operator of Tijirit Gold Project, with the remaining 15% owned by the Government of Mauritania and 10% by Wafa Mining & Petroleum.

The Algold’s operating subsidiary is the Société Tijirit Exploitation SA (Tirex S.A.) (formerly known as Société Tijirit Recherché et Exploration SARL), incorporated to operate the Tijirit and East Tijirit licenses.

Deposit type

  • Banded iron formation hosted
  • Vein / narrow vein

Summary:

Tijirit project is located approximately 40 km southeast of the Tasiast gold deposit. The Tijirit mineralized zones are trending to the NNE and are rather sub-parallel to the Tasiast north-trending deposit. The style of gold mineralization varies on the Tijirit project; however, two major types have been identified as unique: Eleonore-type mineralization and BIFs type.

On Tijirit, gold mineralization is related to deformation zones affecting the iron formations, various metasedimentary sequences and intermediate and mafic metavolcanic and meta-igneous rocks. Gold is locally visible, mostly as native medium to small grain located in quartz ± carbonate veins and silicified zones within highly schistozed metabasites and locally associated with sulphides and metasediments or with quartz veins and altered zones near meta-igneous rocks.

The Tijirit mineralization can be classified according to the following:

- Sophie I, II - gold is related to quartz-carbonate-sulfide veining located in altered, sheared and folded zone within or near contacts between BIF (iron formation), metabasic and metasedimentary sequences.

- Sophie III - gold is located in the north limb of a regional fold in NE-trending sheared contact between metavolcanics and metasediments.

- Lily - gold appear as fine grains located in widespread quartz-carbonate-sulfide veinlets associated to various zones, showing disseminated pyrrhotite and pyrite, alteration and shear and transposition deformation mostly in metasediments, meta-igneous and metabasic NE-trending sequences.

- Eleonore1 - medium to fine grained gold is seen in various size quartz-carbonate-sulfide veining associated with shear and alteration zones within or in contact zones between meta-igneous, metasediments and metabasic rocks.

- Salma - gold is related to late-tectonic quartz veins locally showing sulfides and host-rock alteration. Gold is concentrated in quartz veins trending north, dipping west and located either at the contact between the metabasite sequences and the granite, 250 or 600 m east of the contact in identical veins or within the metabasite sequence, 1 km west of the contact with similar type of quartz veins. The Salma structure can be followed over a 10-km strike.

At present, different types of gold mineralisation have been identified at the Tijirit project. It appears that gold mineralization is not always related to the iron formations but as in Tasiast the presence of iron-rich rocks in the vicinity or lithological density contrasts could have play a structural and/or mechanical role in the precipitation of gold. It is carried through fluid vector circulation resulting in potassic alteration and quartz veins or stockworks or pervasive silica and/or carbonate and sulphide-rich precipitation.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Production

CommodityUnitsAvg. AnnualLOM
Gold oz 104,500580,901
All production numbers are expressed as metal in doré.

Operational metrics

Metrics
Daily ore mining rate 2,976 t *
Daily processing capacity 2,976 t *
Annual ore mining rate 1,018 kt *
Annual processing capacity 1,100 kt *
Stripping / waste ratio 12.2 *
Waste tonnes, LOM 111,915 kt *
Ore tonnes mined, LOM 9,140 kt *
Total tonnes mined, LOM 121,055 kt *
Tonnes processed, LOM 9,140 kt *
* According to 2018 study.

Production Costs

CommodityUnitsAverage
Cash costs Gold USD 591.95 / oz *  
Assumed price Gold USD 1,250 / oz *  
* According to 2018 study / presentation.

Operating Costs

Currency2018
OP mining costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
Processing costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
G&A ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
Total operating costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2018 study.

Project Costs

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
Initial CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Sustaining CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
OP OpEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Processing OpEx $M USD 126.5
G&A costs $M USD 45.8
Total OpEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Royalty payments $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Gross revenue (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax Cash Flow (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax Cash Flow (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 10% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 8% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 10% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 8% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscribe
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Pre-tax payback period, years  ......  Subscribe
After-tax payback period, years  ......  Subscribe

Required Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jul 4, 2018
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jul 4, 2018
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....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Aug 21, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Aug 21, 2024

Total WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required 2018

Aerial view:

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