Essakane is situated in the Paleoproterozoic Oudalan-Gorouol greenstone belt in northeast Burkina Faso. The local stratigraphy can be subdivided into a succession of lower-greenschist facies meta- sediments (argillites, arenites and volcaniclastics), conglomerate and subordinate felsic volcanics, and an overlying Tarkwaian-like succession comprised of siliciclastic meta-sediments and conglomerate. Each succession contains intercalated mafic intrusive units that collectively comprise up to 40% of the total stratigraphic section. The region preserves evidence for at least two regional deformational events. D1 structural elements such as the Essakane host anticline are refolded by a series of North-Northeast-trending F2 folds. Later localized deformation occurs near the margin of a calc-alkaline batholith in the south of Essakane. The Markoye fault trends North-Northeast through the western portion of Essakane and separates the Paleoproterozoic rocks from an older granite-gneiss terrane to the west. The Korizéna prospect is situated approximately 10 kilometres west of the Essakane deposit and is the southern continuity of the Gossey deposit. Both have similar geology. The geology of the Gossey deposit includes sequences of detrital sedimentary rocks (quartz-arenites, quartz- feldspathic sandstones, fine to microconglomeratic lithic sandstones with polygenic clasts, lithic sandstones with pelitic fragments, greywackes, argillites/ graphitic siltstones) interbedded with igneous ........

Mining is carried out using a conventional drill, blast, load, and haul surface mining method with an owner fleet. Currently, the mining plans are limited to the Essakane main pit and its Gorouol satellite pit. The Falagountou, Wafaka, EMZ North satellite pits that provided additional ore and operational flexibility are currently mined out. The North satellite pit is currently being used as a reservoir while the Wafaka and Falagountou pits are currently undergoing final closure studies. Various ore stockpiles, sorted per type (saprolite, transition, or fresh rock) and grade (marginal, low, and high grade), are located to the west of the main pit, just north of the primary crusher. Water runoff from the ore stockpiles and WRDs is collected in ditches and diverted to catchment basins where the runoff is pumped to one of the bulk water storage reservoirs near the TSF. Other mining infrastructure includes a mine office complex (mine offices, change houses, and canteens), an equipment workshop with overhead cranes integrated with the main warehouse, external wash bays, a blasting and explosives compound, including magazines, a diesel storage and dispensing facility, and a drill core storage facility.

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