Mining Intelligence and News
Ethiopia

Da Tambuk Project

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Categories

Overview

Mine TypeUnderground
StagePermitting
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Copper
Mining Method
  • Cut & Fill
  • Sub-level stoping
Backfill type ... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotThe Adyabo Project includes the Mato Bula and Da Tambuk deposits.

EAM’s partners in the development of the Mato Bula and Da Tambuk mines, Tibet Huayu Mining, have confirmed EMPC studies are complete and preparations to initiate mine development at Mato Bula and Da Tambuk remain in place.
Related AssetMato Bula Project

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
East Africa Metals Inc. 30 % Indirect
Tibet Huayu Mining Co., Ltd. 70 % Indirect
Tibet Huayu Mining Co. Limited (“THM”) is be responsible for 100% financing of both Adyabo’s Mato Bula and Da Tambuk mine construction costs resulting in a 70% THM and 30% East Africa Metals Inc. ownership.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Vein / narrow vein
  • Orogenic
  • VMS

Summary:

The geology near the Da Tambuk deposit comprises a northeast trending assemblage, from west to east, that includes a thick sequence of black and grey shales (locally with rare graphitic beds), mafic tuff and bedded chert, chlorite sericite schist and variable chlorite sericite schist. Locally, the assemblage is intruded by feldspar phyric quartz eye porphyry, and leuco grabbroic units. In the area of mineralization, strong silicification is noted locally, along with quartz veining.

A zone of phyllic alteration (sil-ser-py) has been mapped over 700 m of north-south trending strike between the Mato Bula north and Da Tambuk south. This zone of alteration may prove to be the linking structure between the Mato Bula north and Da Tambuk prospect, and if true, presents 700 m of prospective strike.

This trend passes 200 m to the east of Mato Bula North, which is a gold-rich volcanichosted massive sulphide (VHMS)-type target found on the southern licence boundary of the Adi Dairo concession. The alteration indicates that Da Tambuk prospect appears to be on a separate trend with Mato Bula and Silica Hill. This hypothesis is supported by the different geochemical nature of Mato Bula North (high copper, low gold) verses Mato Bula, Silica Hill and Da Tambuk (high gold, low copper). In addition, Mato Bula and Silica Hill are hosted within altered schist, whereas Mato Bula North is hosted higher up in the sequence in the VTSM unit. However, this theory cannot be confirmed without further detail mapping to the south.

Foliation in the area is trending south- southwest (190°), dipping steeply (60 to 80°) towards west-northwest, locally swinging up to 30° to trend 218°, dipping (80 to 85°) towards northwest.

Exploration efforts on the Adyabo Property currently target two deposit types: gold-rich VHMS and orogenic lode-gold mineralization. A spatial relationship between these deposit types is noted on the property and may be related to reactivation of hydrothermal pathways or redistribution of deposited mineralization during orogenesis.

The Da Tambuk deposit, located 4 km northeast along strike from Mato Bula, was originally targeted due to its intense alteration signature determined from Landsat image interpretation. Systematic exploration, including reconnaissance regional soil sampling, delineated a 1.2 km long gold-in-soil anomaly with concentrations greater than 100 ppb gold. Local associations of lead and molybdenum soil anomalies were also present. The highest gold concentration recorded in soils was 5 ppm gold, and no previous artisanal workings were identified in this area. Several trenches were excavated, and one trench intersected 16 m grading at 3.95 g/t gold, including 4 m at 14.53 g/t gold.

Upon initiation of trenching, artisanal activities commenced. Staged trenching and subsequent drilling determined that mineralization is associated with moderate to intense silica alteration and quartz veining, and disseminated to semi-massive pyrite, minor chalcopyrite, and sphalerite. The host rock is a pyrite-rich (greater than 10%) sericite schist that attains a thickness of 50 m.

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 koz 2495
Silver koz 624
All production numbers are expressed as metal in doré.

Operational metrics

Metrics
Daily ore mining rate 482 t *
Daily processing capacity 550 t *
Annual processing capacity 200 kt *
Waste tonnes, LOM 101.65 kt *
Ore tonnes mined, LOM 650.42 kt *
Tonnes processed, LOM 650 kt *
* According to 2018 study.

Production Costs

CommodityUnitsAverage
Cash costs Gold USD 420 / oz * **  
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Gold USD 642 / oz * **  
Assumed price Silver USD 17 / oz *  
Assumed price Gold USD 1,325 / oz *  
* According to 2018 study / presentation.
** Net of By-Product.

Operating Costs

Currency2018
UG mining costs ($/t milled) USD 31 *  
Processing costs ($/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
Total CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
UG OpEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Processing OpEx $M USD 14.2
G&A costs $M USD 5.9
Total OpEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Income Taxes $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Total Taxes $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Royalty payments $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Net revenue (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Net Operating Income (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax Cash Flow (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax Cash Flow (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 8% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 8% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscribe
After-tax IRR, %  ......  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 Jun 11, 2018
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jan 11, 2024

Aerial view:

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