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Mali
Loulo-Gounkoto Mine (Loulo-Gounkoto Complex)

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 Location:
150 km S from Kayes, Mali

  Address:
6448 Av. de l'Oua, Faladié
Bamako
Mali
BP E1160
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  • Costs & Financials
  • Fleet
  • Personnel
  • Filings & News

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Overview

StageProduction
Mine TypeUnderground
Commodities
  • Gold
Mining Method
  • Longitudinal open stoping
  • Longhole open stoping
  • Paste backfill
Production Start...
Mine Life2037
The Loulo underground mine is part of the Loulo-Gounkoto Complex and consists of two established underground mines, namely Yalea and Gara. A third underground mine, Gounkoto, recently commenced production and is currently in a ramp up phase.


Owners

Source: p. 18
CompanyInterestOwnership
Government of Mali 20 % Indirect
Barrick Gold Corp. 80 % Indirect
Société des Mines de Loulo SA (SOMILO) is an exploration and mining company and the owner of the Loulo Mine. SOMILO is held 80% by Barrick and 20% by the state of Mali.

Barrick is the operator of Loulo Mine.

Contractors

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Deposit Type

  • Breccia pipe / Stockwork
  • Mesothermal
  • Vein / narrow vein
  • Stratabound


Summary:

The Loulo and Gounkoto deposits can be classified as a typical shear hosted Birimian style mesothermal gold deposits. The Yalea, Gara and Gounkoto underground mines are all currently in operation and are accessed via portals located in the open pits and a box cut. The Loulo Mine comprises two main deposits, Gara and Yalea, and multiple satellites deposits. Gara Gara is located six kilometres NNW of the Yalea deposit and extends for 2.5 km within a tourmaline sandstone/greywacke unit, which outcrops over 800 m as QT forming low (10 m scale) topographic highs. Mineralisation averages 9 m width and 1.1 km depth. The mineralisation is hosted by a stockwork of quartz- carbonate-pyrite-tourmaline veinlets and associated disseminated pyrite, both of which are confined to a single bed of QT generally less than 30 m thick. The deposit lithologies from west to east are: limestone and argillaceous quartzite (SQR) in the hanging wall (HW), mineralised QT ranging from 5 m to 20 m thick (on average 15 m), and a coarse to medium grained greywacke unit in the footwall (FW). The sedimentary package is also crosscut by three un-mineralised late east-west trending dolerite sub-horizontal dykes that dip shallowly from north to south. The geometry of the deposit is dominated by the strike slip shearing and the development of associated conjugate sets of antithetic structures. This shearing has resulted in folding, fracturing, brecciation, and development of a quartz vein stockwork within the ........


Mining Methods

  • Longitudinal open stoping
  • Longhole open stoping
  • Paste backfill


Summary:

The Loulo operation consists of two established underground mines, namely Yalea and Gara. A third underground mine, Gounkoto, recently commenced production and is currently in a ramp up phase. All three mines employ long hole open stoping with paste fill at a similar scale and all feed the same processing plant. The underground mines are accessed with twin declines at each site, after which stopes are accessed by multiple ramps developed at approximately 500 m intervals along strike. The sub-level spacing varies between 25 m and 20 m. Generally, newer areas are 25 m apart while older areas, crown pillar areas, and geotechnically complex areas are 20 m apart.

Yalea
The Yalea underground mine is a long hole stoping operation producing at a rate of approximately 1.4 Mtpa of ore. Development commenced in 2007, stoping commenced in 2008, and production has ramped up to 1.4 Mt in 2013.

The mine is accessed via twin declines starting in the Yalea open pits. One is a conveyor decline and the other is used for mobile equipment. The lower part of the mine has been developed through a number of single ramps for truck haulage up to crushers located approximately 350 m below surface which feed ore and waste onto the conveyors.

Gara
The Gara underground mine is a long hole stoping operation producing at a rate of 1.3 Mtpa of ore. Development began in 2010, with production gradually ramping up to 1.2 Mt in 2017 and 1.3 Mt in 2020.

Simi ........


Crushing and Grinding
Flow Sheet: Source

The Loulo processing plant processes ore from both the Loulo and Gounkoto operations. The plant uses a conventional crushing, milling, gravity, CIL, and tailings disposal circuit.

Run of Mine ore from the shafts and Gounkoto operations are blended using detailed source analyses to provide a blend of ore to the plant for treatment, meeting the plant operating specifications. The ore is crushed in three stages of crushing to provide a suitable product for feed to the primary mill. Soft ore is fed to the mineral sizer, followed by ball milling. The mill products are classified using hydrocyclones, returning the course material underflow to the grinding circuit. The cyclone overflow is thickened to a suitable underflow density and pumped to the CIL plant.

Since 2014, multiple optimisation projects have been undertaken, resulting in increased throughput and improved recoveries. The upgraded processing plant remains a conventional crushing, milling, CIL, and tailings disposal circuit.

• Crushing – three stage crushing circuit for the hard rock sulphide ores and a single stage roll toothed crusher for the soft weathered oxide ores.
• Milling – one primary mill (8 MW), two identical single stage ball mills (4.5 MW), one scat conveyor system is inserted to return all mills scats back to primary mill via a cone crusher.

Crushing – Hard Ore
Hard rock is delivered to the tipping bin. Tipping can be completed from two directions.

The hard rock crusher plant consists of a primary gyrator crusher (FFE Minerals 1,300 mm by 1,750 mm) driven by a 450 kW electric motor. A tramp iron magnet is installed over the product conveyor to remove steel. A metal detector trips the conveyor if metal is detected.

The primary crusher operated at a rate of +700 tph feeds the secondary crushers, which operate in open circuit, and then the tertiary crushers operate in closed circuit. An additional metal detector is installed on the feed to the tertiary crushers.

The secondary circuit consists of two Sandvik CS660 Hydrocone crushers and the tertiary circuit consists of four CH660 Hydrocone crushing units; all are powered by a 315 kW electric motor. The secondary and tertiary crushers are housed in separate buildings connected via transfer conveyors.

The final product from the tertiary crushers discharges onto a reclaim ore stockpile, via a conveyor system, and has a live capacity of approximately 40,000 t and a total capacity of approximately 115,000 t. This is the feed to the primary mill.

Crushing - Soft Ore
A separate facility exists to crush the soft ore when it is available. The soft ore crushing consists of a tooth roll crusher (MMD 625 - 3 tooth) driven by a 250 kW electric motor. This feeds a separate stockpile area, and the roll crusher product is fed directly onto the ball mill conveyor feed.

Grinding and Classification
The milling section produces a leach feed with approximately 75% passing 75 microns. The milling circuit is composed of a ball mill operating as the primary mill (6.1 m diameter and 9.5 m effective grinding length (EGL) and installed motor power of 7,000 kW upgraded to 8,000 kW) in the open circuit. The oversize or scats are re-handled to the stockpile and re-crushed. The primary mill discharge feeds to two parallel single stage overflow type ball mills (5.5 m diameter by 8.0 m EGL) with a power rating of 4,500 kW each, operating in closed circuit with a dedicated cluster of twelve 250 mm hydrocyclones, of which eight are typically in use.

An additional High Pressure Grinding Roll (HPGR) has been installed to treat scats at a rate of 100 tph.

There is planned processing plant expansion scheduled to commence in 2027 which will expand the annual processing plant capacity to 6.2 Mtpa from 2029 onwards. The main expansion works, in parallel to the current flow sheet, will build an independent flow sheet of 4,200 tpd processing plant that include:
- A complete secondary and tertiary crushing circuit in closed circuit with the screening plant to produce a sub-12 mm product;
- A closed-circuit single stage milling circuit, comprising a 4.5 MW ball mill and a hydrocyclone cluster producing a P80 of minus 75 micron.


Processing

Flow Sheet: Subscription required

Summary:

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Production:

CommodityUnits2022202120202019201820172016
Gold oz  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required389,279437,255419,801
All production numbers are expressed as metal in doré.
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Operational Metrics:

Metrics202220212020201920182017
Ore tonnes mined  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required2,825 kt2,854 kt2,997 kt2,684 kt
Total tonnes mined  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required3,517 kt2,715 kt
Tonnes processed  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required2,767 kt2,576 kt
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Reserves at December 31, 2022:
Underground Mineral Reserves are reported at an average cut-off grade of 2.59 g/t Au for Yalea Underground, 2.42 g/t Au for Gara Underground, and 2.70 g/t Au for Gounkoto Underground.
Underground Mineral Resources are reported in situ within a minimum mineable stope shape at an average cut-off grade of 1.43 g/t Au (minimum 1.33 g/t Au and maximum 1.8 g/t) at a $1,700/oz gold price.

CategoryOreTypeTonnage CommodityGradeContained Metal
Proven In-Situ (UG) 11 Mt Gold 4.86 g/t 1.7 M oz
Probable In-Situ (UG) 24 Mt Gold 5.04 g/t 3.9 M oz
Proven & Probable In-Situ (UG) 35 Mt Gold 4.98 g/t 5.6 M oz
Measured In-Situ (UG) 22 Mt Gold 4.39 g/t 3.1 M oz
Indicated In-Situ (UG) 35 Mt Gold 4.63 g/t 5.3 M oz
Measured & Indicated In-Situ (UG) 57 Mt Gold 4.58 g/t 8.4 M oz
Inferred In-Situ (UG) 20 Mt Gold 2.9 g/t 1.8 M oz

Commodity Production Costs:

CommodityUnits201820172016
Cash costs Gold USD 460 / oz   477 / oz  
Total cash costs (sold) Gold USD 626 / oz   535 / oz   551 / oz  

Operating Costs:

Units202220212020
UG mining costs ($/t mined) USD 53.6  58.2  58.1  

Financials:

Units201820172016
Capital expenditures M USD 88.4   104.7   144.4  
Revenue M USD 498.9   544.9   524.4  
Operating Income M USD 106.4   177.4  
Pre-tax Income M USD 171.1   153.4  
After-tax Income M USD 119.7   107.3  



Heavy Mobile Equipment as of December 31, 2022:
HME TypeModelQuantity
Drill ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Drill ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Drill ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Drill ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Drill (long hole) ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Explosives Charger ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Explosives Charger ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Explosives Charger ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Grader ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Load-Haul-Dump (LHD) ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Load-Haul-Dump (LHD) ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Scissor Lift ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Shotcreter ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Shotcreter ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Trans Mixer ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Truck (underground) ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
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Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 8, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 19, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 19, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 19, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 19, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 19, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 19, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 19, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 19, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 19, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 19, 2023
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Staff:

EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
Subscription required Subscription required Subscription required 2019
Subscription required Subscription required Subscription required 2018
Subscription required Subscription required Subscription required 2017
Subscription required Subscription required Subscription required 2016
Subscription required Subscription required Subscription required 2015
Subscription required Subscription required Subscription required 2014

Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
Annual Information Form 2022
Annual Report 2022
Quarterly Report 2022
Technical Report 2022
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
Quarterly Report 2018
Annual Report 2017
Form 20-F 2017
Quarterly Report 2017
Technical Report 2017
Annual Report 2016
Corporate Presentation 2016
Form 20-F 2016
Project Description 2016
Form 20-F 2015
Project Description 2015
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