Name of the Project
Essakane heap-leach gold project.

Location
Burkina Faso.

Client
IAMGOLD.

Project Description
A prefeasibility study (PFS) has outlined an economically viable project.

The project has probable reserves of 4.7-million ounces, indicated mineral resources of 5.1-million ounces and inferred resources of 600 000 oz.

The PFS has identified the benefit of adding two extra mining phases to the existing Essakane main zone (EMZ) openpit mining operation, combined with the addition of a heap-leaching (HL) operation.

The PFS envisages the HL operation being run in parallel to the existing process plant. Dedicated primary (gyratory) and secondary (cone) crushing circuits, tertiary crushing using a high-pressure grinding rolls (HPGR) unit, materials handling and stacking conveyors, as well as a carbon-in-column adsorption plant will be installed. Loaded carbon will be transported to the existing plant facilities for stripping and refining where minimal infrastructure upgrade will be required.

Where possible, the specified equipment will be the same model as that used in the carbon-in-leach (CIL) plant to improve maintainability and to reduce parts inventories.

Additional major infrastructure included in the PFS are the leach pad, solution distribution and collection systems, solution ponds, a camp upgrade and power-generation capacity increase. Remaining openpit mining includes about 343-million tonnes of waste and 146-million tonnes of ore over an 8.5-year period of production mining. 

This volume of waste will decrease if in-pit inferred resources can be converted to CIL or HL ore through infill drilling.

The maximum mining rate has been estimated at 70-million tonnes a year. The average mined grade is 0.94 g/t gold and the life-of-mine stripping ratio is 2.34:1.

The average processed grade is 0.89 g/t (1.17 CIL and 0.43 HL).

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Value
Initial capital expenditure is estimated at $155-million.

Duration
Stockpile reclaim will start in 2020 until depletion at the end of the mine life.

Latest Developments
The PFS has recommended the completion of a feasibility study to validate and detail the elements of the development concept set out in the PFS, and will include additional infill and condemnation drilling, additional lab column testing, engineering studies and construction planning. Environmental studies, resettlement action planning and permitting initiatives, which have been initiated during the PFS stage, will also continue during the feasibility study. Environmental and social baseline evaluation has been completed and a permit application is planned for the third quarter 2018.

The recommended feasibility study work has been initiated and is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2019 at a ten-million-tonne-a-year HL processing rate. In addition, the feasibility study will evaluate additional development alternatives such as a gravity circuit upgrade and an increase in grinding capacity. 

Key Contracts and Suppliers
IAMGOLD and Kappes, Cassiday & Associates (PFS).

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
IAMGOLD, tel +1 416 360 4710 or email info@iamgold.com.