The Mako Mine is situated in eastern Senegal within the prolific Birimian age “Kenieba Window” geological complex that hosts multiple world class gold mining operations in eastern Senegal and western Mali.

Gold mineralisation is hosted mainly within the Felsic Unit which is sandwiched between two basalt sheets and is associated with disseminated and veinlet pyrite, quartz-carbonate-chlorite alteration and veining and is typified by zones of bleaching and hydrothermal brecciation within both the felsic unit and part of the Lower Basalt Unit.

Mineralisation is contained within a kilometre of strike length and over true widths varying between 5 and 40 metres. Mineralisation remains open at depth and previous deep drill holes have already identified higher grade shoots beneath the base of the open pit which are subject to further exploration to more fully assess their potential to support underground mining operations.

It is currently (2022) interpreted that the northeast striking structure controlled the flow of the gold bearing hydrothermal fluids, with the preferential chemistry/rheology of the felsic volcanic horizon acting as a favourable horizon for silicification and the deposition of the gold-pyrite mineral assemblage. Intensity of gold mineralisation appears to correlate with the intensity of pyrite development and exhibits good lateral and vertical continuity through the mineralised zone.

Dimensions
The gold mineralisat ........

The Petowal deposit is developed as an open pit mine by conventional methods of drilling, blasting, loading and hauling using standard industry equipment. Top hammers, down-the hole hammers or rotary drills are used for drilling and blasting, depending on the rock characteristics and the optimum blast hole size selected. Grade control is achieved through Reverse Circulation drilling (Coffey, 2015). Dieselpowered 120 tonne hydraulic excavators with 90 tonne (approximate) haul trucks are used us the primary loading and hauling equipment. The pit is mined at a maximum rate of 2.4 Mt of ore per annum, producing 74 million tonnes of waste rock over the Project lifetime (Toro Gold, 2015a). Staged development of the Mine Pit is required in order to maximise the grade of the initial plant feed, minimise waste pre-stripping and fulfil the requirement for consistent total material movement. Stage 1, Stage 2 and Stage 3 are located on the foot wall side of the pit, with Stage 1 located to the south, Stage 2 extending Stage 1 to the north and Stage 3 extending the footwall side of the pit to the final extents of the Mine Pit. Stage 4 extends the southern half of the pit to the west and to full depth, with Stage 5 extending the northern half of the pit to the west and final depth (Coffey, 2015).

The Mine Pit intersecting predominantly fresh rock material. Five metre benches are used in the Mine Pit for mining the ore zone and 10 metre high benches for the waste rock zones.