Perseus has a 90% interest and the Government of Côte d’Ivoire a 10% free carried interest Perseus Mining Yaouré SA. Perseus owns a 90% interest in Perseus Yaouré SARL, owner of Yaouré Gold Mine.
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Summary:
The deposits (including Yaouré and CMA) at the Yaouré Gold Mine are structurally controlled, orogenic style gold deposits similar to many exploited elsewhere in the Birimian terranes of West Africa.
Gold mineralisation is accompanied by traces of molybdenum, tungsten, antimony, bismuth and tellurium indicating that the mineralisation may have affinities with the reduced intrusion-related gold systems (IRGS). The predominance of structural controls and association with carbonatisation, sericitisation and silicification, however, are characteristics that more clearly point to its classification as an orogenic, mesothermal gold deposit.
Mineralisation forming the Yaouré Gold Project may be described as orogenic lode-style gold mineralisation, occurring near the south-eastern flank of the Bouaflé greenstone belt in central Côte d’Ivoire. Mineralisation is hosted by Paleoproterozoic aged metabasalts and felsic intrusive rocks of the Birimian Supergroup. The rocks are metamorphosed to lower greenschist facies and only locally feature penetrative deformation fabrics.
Gold mineralisation at Yaouré has been subdivided into two main zones: the CMA Zone to the east and the Yaouré Zone to the west. Subsidiary gold resources have also been delineated at Govisou and Angovia 2, each of which show characteristics different to the main Yaouré and CMA systems.
The CMA Zone is a relatively continuous 20-45 m thick fault zone featuring quartz-carbonate (dominantly ankerite) veining and disseminated pyrite in albite-carbonate altered wall rocks. It strikes approximately north-south, dips at 30 degrees to the east, extends along 1,200 m strike and its down-dip continuity has been tested to a depth in excess of 800 m. At its northern end, the main CMA footwall lode abruptly turns to strike northwest, merging into the NNE dipping fault that juxtaposes the basalt and volcano-sedimentary terranes.
The Yaouré Zone comprises a system of structures in a 300 m wide zone, 200 m below the CMA Zone beneath the Yaouré Central Pit. Gold mineralisation is hosted by a series of brittle-ductile structures divided for convenience into ‘Y’ and ‘S’ types. The ‘Y’ fault zones, parallel to the CMA Zone, consist of the Y1, Y2 and Y3 structures which are shallow easterly dipping reverse faults with associated albite, carbonate and quartz veins in variably altered host rocks with disseminated pyrite. The ‘S’ type structures comprise sub-vertical faults filled with quartz-tourmaline veins. The ‘S’ type structures are oriented WNW, ESE and north-east, south-west. Gold mineralisation also occurs along granodiorite and porphyry contacts and along zones of competency contrast such as the contacts between massive and pillowed basalts.
Numerous, less well-developed mineralised structures also occur in the deposit. The majority strike approximately east-west and dip sub-vertically and are best developed in the granodiorite stock where, in places, they combine with less common flat-lying veins to form a stockwork. Gold mineralisation also occurs along granodiorite and porphyry contacts and along zones of competency contrast such as the contacts between massive and pillowed basalts.
Gold occurs within quartz, quartz-carbonate and quartz-tourmaline veins and in adjacent altered wall rocks, typically associated with disseminated pyrite. Other than for very fine particles that may be occluded by silicates or labile pyrite, the gold is free milling, i.e., cyanide soluble.
The combined deposits extend over an area around 1.4 km east-west by 2.1 km north-south.
CMA Open Pit – CMA Underground – CMA Southwest – Zain 1 – Zain 2
Mineralisation is associated with quartz-albite-carbonate veining in reverse fault structures that typically dip at 25 to 55 degrees to the east and northeast.
The CMA Underground Mineral Resource comprises fifteen discrete lodes with typical thicknesses ranging from 2-3 metres up to 15-20 metres. Eighty-nine percent of the Indicated Mineral Resource tonnage and ninety-two percent of the Indicated Mineral Resource contained ounces is hosted in the principal CMA and bifurcated hangingwall lode (structure).
Dimensions
CMA Open Pit – CMA Underground
The Mineral Resource extends along a broadly north-south strike for approximately 1,400 m. Mineralisation has been identified extending down-dip over 700 m (500 m below surface) transiting continuously from the CMA Open Pit through to the CMA Underground. The major lode varies between 10-20 m with a series of minor lodes with thicknesses of several metres.
Yaouré Open Pit
• The mineralisation domains representing the Yaouré Open Pit Mineral Resource extend across approximately 1,500 m north to south and approximately 700 m east to west, extending to over 300 m below surface.
• Domains vary in thickness from a few metres to greater than 15 m.
• Mineralisation remains open at depth and to the south.
Zain 1
• Mineralisation is represented by a series of sub-parallel lodes dipping between 40-60° towards the east and striking over 900 m.
• Lodes vary in width from a few metres to 15 m.
• Mineralisation remains open along strike and down dip.
Zain 2
Mineralisation is represented by a series of sub-parallel lodes dipping between 40-60° towards the east and cross-lode structures dipping between 70-80° towards the north, striking over 500 m. Lodes vary in width from a few metres to greater than 10 m. Mineralisation remains open along strike and down dip.