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Guinea
Simandou South (blocks 3 and 4) Project

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 Location:
526 km SE from Conakry, Guinea

  Project Contacts:
Immeuble KanKan, Cite Chemin de Fer, BP 848
Conakry
Guinea
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  • Overview
  • Owners
  • Geology
  • Mining
  • Processing
  • Production
  • Reserves
  • Costs & Financials
  • Personnel
  • Filings & News

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Overview

StagePermitting
Mine TypeOpen Pit
Commodities
  • Iron Ore
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Mine Life40 years (as of Jan 1, 2016)
The Simandou South deposit is part of Guinea’s massive Simandou iron ore deposit. The Simandou South deposit is comprised of two blocks: blocks 3 and 4 which include Pic de Fon and Ouéléba deposits.

The project comprises three principal components:
A high-grade iron ore mine (blocks 3 and 4 of Simandou) of 100 million tons per year at full production;
A new 650km trans-Guinean multi-user railway to transport iron ore to the Guinean coast;
A new deep-water multi-user port in the Forécariah prefecture.

2020 - Rio Tinto expects to complete the first phase of the technical optimisation work on the infrastructure components of the Simandou project in the first half of 2021. Activity at the mine area – a world-class iron ore deposit – is starting to include roadworks. Rio Tinto is also progressing the implementation of the Social and Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA).
Latest NewsRio Tinto sale agreement for Simandou lapses     October 29, 2018


Owners & OPERATOR

Source: p. 59,258
CompanyInterestOwnership
Government of Guinea 15 % Indirect
Chinalco Mining Corporation International 39.95 % Indirect
Rio Tinto plc 45.05 % Indirect
Simfer S.A., (operator) 100 % Direct
Simandou South (blocks 3 and 4) is owned by Simfer S.A., a joint venture between Rio Tinto (45.05%), Aluminum Corporation of China (Chinalco 39.95%) and the Government of Guinea (15%).

International Finance Corporation (IFC), an arm of the World Bank, earlier held a 4.6% stake in the Simandou South, which it sold in October 2016.

Deposit Type

  • Banded iron formation


Summary:

The Pic de Fon and Ouéléba iron deposits comprise the Simandou South project.

The Ouéléba and Pic de Fon supergene-enriched itabirite iron ore deposits are located in the southern part of the Simandou Range in south-eastern Guinea. The Simandou Range is part of the Kénéma-Man Domain of the West African Craton. The deposits are hosted within the Simandou Group with the Itabirite Formation overlying the Phyllites and Schist Formations. The deposits have undergone intense multi-phase deformation and are deeply weathered.

The Simandou Range is the result of multi-phase ductile deformation represented by tight synformal fold keels and sheared antiformal structures. The ridge consists of a formation of itabirites (metamorphosed BIF) and phyllites within the Simandou Group overlying basement gneiss and amphibolite. The itabirites and phyllites have been deeply weathered and identifying stratigraphy is difficult, with the only discernible contact being that between the itabirites and phyllites.

The following domains have been interpreted for the itabirites: laterite, carapace, transitional mineralisation, friable haematite goethite mineralisation, friable enriched itabirite, friable poor itabirite and compact poor itabirite.

Phyllite domains have been interpreted for very weak phyllite, soil strength phyllite, weak phyllite, compact pyritic phyllite, weak quartzite and compact quartzite.

Laterite and carapace are sub-horizontal with the laterite overlying all other lithologies and the carapace overlying the mineralisation and enriched itabirite lithologies.

The itabirites and phyllites are interpreted to be folded with the axial planes of the fold hinges dipping moderately to steeply towards the west.

The Ouéléba and Pic de Fon deposits extend for 7.8 km and 7.5 km along strike with widths of 0.8 km and 1 km respectively. The mineralisation interpreted for the Mineral Resources extends from surface to a vertical depth of approximately 500 m.

The high-grade haematite-goethite (Ouéléba) or haematite-martite (Pic de Fon) mineralisation transitions with increasing depth to partially enriched itabirites and then into unenriched itabirites.

A surface covering of weathered mineralisation typically up to 20 m to 30 m in depth is found over the high grade mineralisation at Pic de Fon. At Ouéléba much deeper pervasive weathering is observed with a weathered carapace (goethite, clay and limonite rich) and a transitional weathering/mineralisation zone are observed over the high grade mineralisation. These zones are typically between 30 m to 100 m thick but can be over 300 m thick in some locations.


Mining Methods

  • Truck & Shovel / Loader


Summary:

The proposed mining operation will be open cut mining with a large annual tonnage (after initial production and ramp up). The proposed bench height is 12 m and this has been taken into account for the selection of the resource model block size.


Crushing and Grinding


Processing


Summary:

Standard crushing and screening processes will be used to produce directly shippable product.

No metallurgical modifying factors have been applied given the mineralization is of direct shipping grade and it is modelled that 100% of plant feed is recovered as product.

Processing characteristics, such as abrasiveness, are factored into the operating cost model.


Projected Production:

CommodityUnitsAvg. Annual
Iron (hematite) Mt 100
All production numbers are expressed as ore.


Reserves at December 31, 2019:

CategoryTonnage CommodityGrade
Measured 324 Mt Iron (hematite) 66.8 %
Indicated 1,709 Mt Iron (hematite) 65.3 %
Inferred 723 Mt Iron (hematite) 65.1 %

Commodity Production Costs:

CommodityUnitsAverage
Assumed price Iron Ore USD 60 / t *
* According to 2016 study / presentation.

2016 Study Costs and Valuation Metrics :

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
Total CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscription required
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Heavy Mobile Equipment:

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 4, 2021
Subscription required - Subscription is required.


Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
Press Release 2021
Year-end Mineral Reserves 2017
Other 2016
Other 2014
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News:

NewsDate
Rio Tinto sale agreement for Simandou lapses October 29, 2018

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