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Senegal

Grande Cote (GCO) Operation

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Categories

Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Zircon
  • Rutile
Mining Method
  • Dredging
  • Dry mining
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Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotGrande Côte mineral sands operation (GCO) is the world’s largest mining dredge operation.

The first stage, a dredge and a dry extraction unit, commissioned in the second half of 2022, which feed a floating concentration unit producing a concentrate containing the mineral sands (HMC).

The second stage, which was officially approved in October 2023, involves commissioning a third sand treatment line at the floating concentration plant in 2025.

Nominal production capacity for HMC is expected to exceed 1.0 Mt per year by 2026.
Related Asset

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Government of Senegal 10 % Indirect
Eramet Group 90 % Indirect
Grande Côte Operations SA (operator) 100 % Direct
The Eramet owns 90% of Grand Cote Operation through its 100% subsidiary Grande Côte Operations SA.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Mineral sands
  • Sedimentary

Summary:

The extensive Senegal-Mauritanian Basin covers most of Senegal and is composed of Mid-Jurassic to Recent, poorly cemented marine sands, marls, limestones and shales overlain by continental lacustrine and marine sediments.

The GCO project is within the belt of coastal dunes that lie along the current shoreline. The dunes, recent in age, are mobile or semi-fixed, pale yellow in colour and overlie older Late Quaternary white marine sands. The dunes range between 5m and 35m in height and the mineralised zones, which are essentially flat-lying, average around 15m in thickness.

The GCO deposit comprises a linear series of Aeolian sand dunes containing an HM assemblage concentrated by wind action. The Aeolian or mobile dunes overlie a substratum of former beach sands representing a recessive littoral environment. These sands also contain a lesser HM concentration. The natural water table generally occurs close to the interface between the mobile dune and littoral sand together with occasional peaty materials preferentially located at the dune-littoral sand interface.

The deposits include: Mboro, Lompoul, Diogo, Fass Boye, Yodi, Mboro Hotel and Noto. The deposits extend over a length of about 70km. There is potential for additional deposits beyond the limits of present drilling, both to the south–west and north–east for a total strike length drilled of 75km.

Dimensions
The resource extends for 75km north–east and averages 2km wide. The average depth of mineralisation is 15m.

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

Zircon production data has been presented for premium and standard zircon. Additionally, a lower-grade intermediate zircon is also produced at the Grand Cote operation.
CommodityProductUnits2024202320222021202020192018
Heavy Minerals Concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe735774
Zircon Mineral in concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe5864
Ilmenite Mineral in concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe492507
HiTi (rutile-leucoxene) Mineral in concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe109.6
^ Guidance / Forecast.

Operational metrics

Metrics202320222021202020192018
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe49.4 Mt47 Mt
Hourly mining capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe7,000 t7,000 t
Annual production capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe575 kt of ilmenite mineral in concentrate
Annual production capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe85 kt of zircon mineral in concentrate
Annual production capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe4 kt of rutile mineral in concentrate
Annual production capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe8 kt of leucoxene mineral in concentrate

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Personnel

Mine Management

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Aerial view:

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