Roxgold Inc, listed on the TSX, has announced that it has received permitting approval to develop the Bagassi South project from the Burkina Faso Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development.
“We are extremely pleased to announce the permitting approval for the Bagassi South project. The approval of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for Bagassi South allows us to confirm our development decision and begin mine development and construction for our first growth project on the Yaramoko concession,” stated John Dorward, President and CEO of Roxgold. “We would like to thank the government of Burkina Faso and our stakeholders in the communities for their continued support and look forward to continuing our positive working relationship.”
The existing Yaramoko plant (seen here) will treat the Bagassi South ore (photo: Roxgold).
Roxgold is continuing to advance the development of the Bagassi South project with underground mine development and construction activities commencing in the first quarter of 2018. With the approval of the ESIA, the company has filed an application for an extension of its Exploitation (Mining) Permit to include the Bagassi South deposits, which marks the final step in the permitting process. A decision regarding the extension from the Burkina Faso government is expected in the second quarter of 2018.
In November 2017, Roxgold announced the positive results of the Feasibility Study (FS) for the Bagassi South project. The FS envisions a satellite underground operation at Bagassi South and an expanded processing facility at Yaramoko. The project would produce an average annual gold production of 40 000 ounces over a mine life of 4,2 years at average all-in sustaining costs of US$630/oz. The FS estimates the pre-production capital cost at US$29,6 million.
The project benefits from nearby current operations at the Yaramoko gold project including personnel and infrastructure (camps, water and high voltage grid power).
The initial access to the deposit will be via a single ramp from surface to the 5265 level (45 m below surface). The ramp will ultimately be developed to a depth of 260 m below surface (5055 level), providing access to 15 sublevels on 15 m vertical intervals. The ramp will be centrally positioned along strike and three ore blocks will be accessed by on-vein development to the deposit limits. Similar to the operating 55 Zone, mining will be conducted using long hole retreat stoping with cemented rock backfill used to eliminate non-recoverable pillars to maximise mining recovery to 93 %.
The plant expansion will increase capacity from 270 000 t/a to 400 000 t/a. The original design of the existing Yaramoko plant considered a future expansion and the necessary allowances were made in the layout and mechanical equipment selection to facilitate a modular type expansion.
The expansion will include: installation of a secondary crushing circuit with a throughput of 100 t/h; conversion of the SAG mill to a ball mill, achieving a throughput of 50,2 t/h; an upgrade of the CIL circuit, consisting of an additional two adsorption tanks and an 8-m diameter high rate thickener; and an expansion of the gravity circuit designed to recover 70 % of head grade consisting of an additional Acacia leach reactor and two electrowinning cells.
