Mining Intelligence and News
China

Songjiagou(SJG) Mine

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Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Gold
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
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SnapshotThe SJG Open-Pit Mine is a part of the Songjiagou Gold Operations.

Phase 1 of the SJG Open-Pit Mine expansion has been completed. Phase 2 expansion work is ongoing with further bench development planned for FY2024 and with a scheduled for completion by end of Q2 FY2025. Final expansion Phase 3 has not yet been scheduled.
Related AssetSongjiagou Operation

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Yantai Dahedong Processing Co. Ltd. 25 % Indirect
Majestic Gold Corp. 70.5 % Indirect
Yantai Zhongjia Mining Inc. (operator) 100 % Direct
Majestic holds a 52.875% interest in the SJG Project through its 70.5% owned subsidiary Persistence, which holds a 75% interest in the SJG Project with the remaining 25% held by Yantai Dahedong Processing Co. Ltd.

Richard’s Resource Technologies Inc. holds 4.5% interest.

Deposit type

  • Breccia pipe / Stockwork
  • Mesothermal
  • Conglomerate hosted
  • Vein / narrow vein

Summary:

Deposit Types
Gold mineralisation of the SJG (Songjiagou) Project is hosted within the pyritic-sericitic conglomerate of the Linsishan Formation from Laiyang Group of Cretaceous-age. Gold enrichment occurs as veins, as well as in disseminated and stockwork distributions. The SJG vein-type mineralisation could be appropriately described as mesothermal genesis. The disseminated and stockwork types of mineralisation have some aspects of epithermal mineralisation but are both spatially and genetically associated with the vein-type; as such it can be considered a variant of that type.

The SJG Project’s conglomerate type gold deposit is believed to be associated with mesothermal filling activities and followed by alterations and metasomatism.

Property geology
The SJG Project is situated in the eastern part of the Jiaobei Terrane and on the northeast margin of the Jiaolai Basin and is regarded as part of the Muping-Rushan gold belt.

Paleoproterozoic metamorphic rocks of the Jingshan Group are mainly distributed to the north of the SJG Project area near Tanjia village, and are comprised of biotite granulite, graphite-bearing gneiss, leucogranite, and marble. These strata generally dip southeast with angles varying from 15° to 50°.

Cretaceous-age rocks are predominately represented by the Linsishan Formation, part of the Laiyang Group and comprised of conglomerate and sandstone. The Linsishan Formation in the SJG Project area has an overall northeast strike and dips southeast with an angle of 20° to 40°. The formation is divisible into two conformably contacted sections according to the clast size. The first section of Linsishan Formation consists of relatively larger clasts with grain sizes of about 3 centimetres (‘‘cm’’) –20 cm and is predominately composed of monzonitic granite and quartz; marble, gneiss, schist and granulite are occasionally visible in this section. The second section is characterised by finer grained and rounded clasts made of sandstone and siltstone.

The gold mineralisation is mainly hosted within the conglomerate in first section of the Laiyang Group Linsishan Formation.

Mineralised zones
The SJG Project’s gold mineralised zones are concentrated within an area of approximately 1.0 km2 which is covered by the aggregate areas of Yantai Zhongjia’s currently valid mining licences. The defined mineralised zones are bounded within the Laiyang Group Linsishan Formation conglomerate without distinct boundaries, and a number of gold enriched bodies present as gold veins occurring within the lithological zone characterised by Linsishan Formation conglomerate.

The rock layer consists of Paleoproterozoic Jingshan Group metamorphic rocks, Mesozoic Cretaceous Laiyang Group sediments and Cenozoic quaternary system and is dominated by Laiyang Group. The local structure features two major fault zones, the northeast striking Yazi Fault Zone and the northwest oriented Tanjia Fault Zone. Main magmatic activity is represented by monzonite granite.

The highest grades of gold mineralisation are confined to relatively narrow although vertically and horizontally persistent zones. Gold mineralisation is associated with sulphides. Mineralised rocks present in grained, in-filling, clastic, or brecciated textures.

The SJG Project’s gold mineralised zones are concentrated within an area of approximately 1.0 km2 which is covered by the aggregate areas of Yantai Zhongjia’s currently valid mining licences.

Gold mineralisation is associated with sulphides that include electrum, pyrite, chalcopyrite, galena, sphalerite, and bornite. Gold is most abundantly associated with electrum and pyrite. The secondary metallic minerals include sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, magnetite, and limonite. The associated gangue minerals are represented by feldspar, quartz, muscovite, calcite, and clay minerals.

Sulphur (‘‘S’’) grades vary from 1.1% to 7.8% according to tests done on 13 samples by No. 3 Geological Institute, with an average grade of 3.7%. Silver (‘‘Ag’’) grades have been analysed within a range of 0.5 g/t and 8.5 g/t Ag. The harmful element arsenic (‘‘As’’) was found to occur with grades ranging from 0.0040% to 0.0302% As. The average grade of arsenic is about 0.0012% As. As the content of arsenic is far lower than the required standard of 0.5% in the content of the gold product as stipulated in the sales contract, SRK does not consider this could materially affect the saleability of the gold produced at the mines. Furthermore, in view of the graded of arsenic, SRK do not consider that it would be likely to adversely impact the environment.

Based on observation as well as on the phase analysis results, the types of gold mineralised zones present at the SJG Project include oxidised, mixed, and primary sulphide; primary sulphide or accounts for the largest proportion. The mineralised rocks present in grained, in-filling, clastic, or brecciated textures.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Production

The suspension of mining operations in February 2021, with operations resuming to full capacity at the SJG Open-Pit Mine in August 2021.
CommodityUnits202320222021202020192018201720162015
Gold oz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe21,04828,84325,36322,97519,488
All production numbers are expressed as metal in concentrate.

Operational metrics

Metrics2024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,414,313 t1,416,683 t1,509,566 t1,662,583 t1,673,484 t
Tonnes milled  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,226,231 t1,467,628 t1,578,261 t1,619,876 t1,578,797 t
Stripping / waste ratio  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Waste  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Total tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Daily milling capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe6,000 t
^ Guidance / Forecast.

Production Costs

Commodity2022202120202017
Total cash costs Gold  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Total cash costs (sold) Gold 723 / oz  USD
All-in sustaining costs (sold) Gold 850 / oz  USD

Operating Costs

202220212020
Total operating costs ($/t milled)  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe

Financials

Units20242017
Capital expenditures (planned) M RMB  ....  Subscribe
Capital expenditures M 14.9  USD
Revenue M 29.5  USD
Gross profit M 9.6  USD
After-tax Income M 3.7  USD
EBITDA M 10.1  USD

Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 30, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 30, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 30, 2023

Aerial view:

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