Overview
Stage | Construction |
Mine Type | Open Pit |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
|
Production Start | ...  |
Mine Life | 10.5 years (as of Jan 1, 2021) |
The company continues to work on the Phase 2 Expansion debt package and expects to share further updates by the summer. With tranche 1 of the BOM$60m debt package now available, the company is working actively on the new crusher construction, camp expansion and earth-works. |
Latest News | Steppe Gold Announces Updated LOM Plan for ATO Gold Mine to 2036 – Higher Revenues and Profits February 21, 2023 |
Source:
p. 15
Contractors
- Subscription is required.
Deposit Type
- Epithermal
- Breccia pipe / Stockwork
Summary:
The geology of the property consists of metamorphosed Devonian sedimentary rock overlain by a volcanic and sedimentary sequence of Permian age and remnant scraps of probable Jurassic volcaniclastic units, intruded by Jurassic plutons ranging from diorite to granite in composition and including rhyolitic phases mainly as dikes. Petrographic study suggests simple, single-pulse injections of the intrusions, with late-stage generation/expulsion of felsic phases and contemporaneous concentration of metal-rich fluids.
Mineralization at ATO is probably related to the Jurassic intrusive magmatic rocks as sources of heat, metals, and fluids. The main ATO system is associated with a stratigraphic unit that appears to be localized in a graben or collapse feature that is possibly but not certainly Jurassic in age; any stratigraphy could potentially be prospective for this style of mineralisation. The ATO mineralisation appears to have occurred as a protracted single-stage process in separately upward-flaring pipe-shaped bodies, with temperatures ranging from ~300-350°C at depth to possibly ambient temperature in surficial sinter.
Metal zonation: In a broad sense, metal zoning shows a clear, classic pattern of intrusion-centred copper (plus or minus molybdenum, tungsten, gold, and other elements) outward to country-rock hosted lead, zinc, and silver (plus or minus gold, arsenic, antimony, mercury, and other elements). It is presumed that this lateral zonation also oc ........

Summary:
The mining method selected for the Project is a conventional open pit operation with rigid body mining trucks, hydraulic excavators, and wheel loaders. The Project consists of two (2) separated mining areas: the ATO and the Mungu Pits. Only open pit mining is considered in this Report; however, the Mungu Pit is open at depth and only a small portion can be mined economically. Therefore, there is an opportunity for the Mungu Pit to be expanded to an underground mine once the open pit reserves are depleted.
The oxide ore will be transported by truck from the pit to the leach pad, and the transition and fresh ore will be transported by truck to either a stockpile or the mill. Waste material will be deposited in waste stockpiles. Ore sent to the mill is a combination of transition and fresh material; however, there is no need for a particular blend of these ores. Marginal ore (above the marginal COG, but below the mining COG) will be mined and processed throughout the LOM to supplement leach pad and mill feeds. The mine will operate year-round, seven (7) days a week, twenty-four (24) hours a day (two 12-hour shifts). 35 days of downtime are considered due to weather delays as well as holidays, for a total of 330 operating days a year.
The mine plan was based on a production rate of 1.2 Mtpa of oxide ore at the leach pad and 2.20 Mtpa of transition and fresh ore at the mill. Mine planning was performed using Hexagon MinePlan Schedule Optimiser (MPSO) module ........

Source:

- subscription is required.
Flow Sheet:
Summary:

- subscription is required.
Projected Production:
Commodity | Product | Units | Avg. Annual | LOM |
Lead
|
Concentrate
|
kt
| | 184 |
Zinc
|
Concentrate
|
kt
| | ......  |
Pyrite
|
Concentrate
|
kt
| | ......  |
Gold Equivalent
|
Metal in concentrate
|
koz
| ......  | |
Operational Metrics:
Metrics | |
Tonnes processed, LOM
| ......  |
Annual processing capacity
| ......  |
Annual ore mining rate
| ......  |
* According to 2021 study.
- Subscription is required.
Reserves at June 30, 2021:
Mineral resources: lower grade cut-offs used here were applied to the AuEq variable, were stipulated by Steppe, and were:
• Oxide 0.15 g/t AuEq;
• Transitional 0.40 g/t AuEq;
• Fresh 0.40 g/t AuEq.
The open pit mineral reserves are estimated using a cut-off grade of 0.42 g/t AuEq for oxide material and 0.45 g/t AuEq for transition and fresh material.
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
Proven & Probable
|
26,404 kt
|
Gold
|
1.14 g/t
|
968 koz
|
Proven & Probable
|
26,404 kt
|
Silver
|
11.18 g/t
|
9,491 koz
|
Proven & Probable
|
26,404 kt
|
Lead
|
0.46 %
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
26,404 kt
|
Zinc
|
0.78 %
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
26,404 kt
|
Gold Equivalent
|
1.86 g/t
|
1,579 koz
|
Measured
|
23.94 Mt
|
Gold
|
1.18 g/t
|
907 koz
|
Measured
|
23.94 Mt
|
Silver
|
15.95 g/t
|
12,274 koz
|
Measured
|
23.94 Mt
|
Lead
|
0.41 %
|
|
Measured
|
23.94 Mt
|
Zinc
|
0.66 %
|
|
Measured
|
23.94 Mt
|
Gold Equivalent
|
1.84 g/t
|
1,419 koz
|
Indicated
|
17.7 Mt
|
Gold
|
85 g/t
|
483 koz
|
Indicated
|
17.7 Mt
|
Silver
|
14.44 g/t
|
8,206 koz
|
Indicated
|
17.7 Mt
|
Lead
|
0.41 %
|
|
Indicated
|
17.7 Mt
|
Zinc
|
0.6 %
|
|
Indicated
|
17.7 Mt
|
Gold Equivalent
|
1.44 g/t
|
819 koz
|
Measured & Indicated
|
41.6 Mt
|
Gold
|
1.04 g/t
|
1,390 koz
|
Measured & Indicated
|
41.6 Mt
|
Silver
|
15.31 g/t
|
20,479 koz
|
Measured & Indicated
|
41.6 Mt
|
Lead
|
0.38 %
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
41.6 Mt
|
Zinc
|
0.63 %
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
41.6 Mt
|
Gold Equivalent
|
1.67 g/t
|
2,238 koz
|
Inferred
|
5.6 Mt
|
Gold
|
0.62 g/t
|
113 koz
|
Inferred
|
5.6 Mt
|
Silver
|
15.13 g/t
|
2,732 koz
|
Inferred
|
5.6 Mt
|
Lead
|
0.25 %
|
|
Inferred
|
5.6 Mt
|
Zinc
|
0.5 %
|
|
Inferred
|
5.6 Mt
|
Gold Equivalent
|
1.15 g/t
|
208 koz
|
Corporate Filings & Presentations:
Document | Year |
Corporate Presentation
|
2022
|
...................................
|
2021
|
...................................
|
2021
|
- Subscription is required.
News:
- Subscription is required.