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Mali

Yatela Mine

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Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusClosing / Closed
Commodities
  • Gold
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
SnapshotOn February 14, 2019, Sadiola Exploration Limited (SADEX), a subsidiary jointly held by the Company and AGA, entered into a share purchase agreement with the Government of Mali, as amended from time to time, whereby SADEX agreed to sell to the Government of Mali its 80% participation in Société d’Exploitation des Mines d’Or de Yatela (Yatela), for a consideration of $1.

As part of the transaction, and upon its completion, SADEX will make a one time payment of approximately $37.0 million to the dedicated state account, corresponding to the estimated costs of completing the rehabilitation and closure of the Yatela mine, and also financing certain outstanding social programs.

Upon completion and this payment being made, SADEX and its affiliated companies will be released of all obligations relating to the Yatela mine. The IAMGOLD continues to fund its proportionate share of expenditures for Yatela.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Government of Mali 20 % Indirect
IAMGOLD Corp. 40 % Indirect
AngloGold Ashanti plc. 40 % Indirect
Yatela is 80% owned by the Sadiola Exploration Company Limited, a joint venture between AngloGold Ashanti and IAMGOLD, giving each a 40% stake. The balance of 20% is owned by the Government of Mali.

On 14 February 2019, Sadiola Exploration Limited (SADEX), the subsidiary jointly held by AngloGold Ashanti Limited and IAMGOLD Corporation, entered into a share purchase agreement with the Government of Mali, whereby SADEX agreed to sell to the Government of Mali its 80% participation in Société d’Exploitation des Mines d’Or de Yatela (Yatela), for a consideration of USD1.

Deposit type

  • Sedimentary

Summary:

The Yatela mine comprises the Yatela and Alamoutala deposits located in northwest Mali within the Keniéba-Kedougou Inlier, a major Paleoproterozoic- Birimian inlier along the northeast margin of the Kenema-Man shield. The Yatela deposit is located in the north of the inlier and is hosted in sedimentary rocks of the Kofi Formation, which have been intruded by numerous felsic to intermediate intrusives. The sedimentary rocks consist of fine-grained greywackes, pelites and impure limestones with minor tuffs and acid volcanics. The primary gold mineralisation is hosted along a sheared contact between predominantly dolomitic carbonate rocks of the Kofi Formation to the west and a dioritic intrusion to the east. The secondary mineralisation was concentrated to economic grades through dissolution of the carbonate and subsequent concentration of the gold by eluvial processes and supergene enrichment.

Karst development at Yatela has formed deep pot holes, collectively named the Yatela Basin, which were gradually filled by sandstones and conglomerates during peneplanation of the Proterozoic rocks. Chaotic collapse during karstification, coupled with the infill sediments resulted in the deposit being hosted in a melange-type of rocks made up of sedimentary rocks and dissolution residues. Gold is disseminated in the unconsolidated ferruginous, clastic layer with sandy-clayey matrix that lines the bottom and walls of a deep trough with steep margins. The karst margin dips steeply on the west wall and more gently to the west on the east wall, following a keel-like geometry with tight closure on the folded diorite towards the south. The supergene enrichment of low-grade primary gold mineralisation associated with the karstification is the most important geological feature to the economics of the Yatela deposit.

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

CommodityUnits2018201720162015
All production numbers are expressed as payable metal.

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Aerial view:

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