PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Burkina Faso Ministry of the Environment, Green Economy and Climate Change has given environmental approval to the Sanbrado gold project.
Project developer West African Resources said on Thursday that the environmental approval was a key milestone towards the development of the project.
“The updated environmental certificate is a key milestone and demonstrates the company’s commitment to de-risking and developing the high-grade Sanbrado gold project,” said West African MD Richard Hyde.
“Completion of the environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) and the resettlement action plan to International Finance Corporation standards is the result from over 18 months of planning, preparation and execution by our in-country team and consultants,” he added.
The updated ESIA reflected the change in process from heap leach to carbon-in-leach extraction and the addition of underground mining to the overall mine plan.
An updated mining licence is now expected in mid-2018.
An updated feasibility study for the Sanbrado project is on track for completion in the second quarter of this year, along with a resource update.
A previous feasibility study at Sanbrado has estimated that the project could produce around 93 000 oz/y over a nine-year mine life, with preproduction costs estimated at A$131-million.