The Morila gold mine in Mali is currently producing gold from reprocessing of tailings. Guidance offered was that the mine would produce between 10,000 and 10,500 ounces of gold in Q1 2021 (refer ASX Announcement 8 January 2021). In January, the mine produced 3,494 ounces of gold and 3,372 ounces of gold in February. The mine remains on track to meet guidance.
It is intended to commence mining of satellite pits in mid-2021 and to enable processing of this ore, multiple capital works programmes are being undertaken at the processing plant and the tailings dam. Numerous images of these activities are attached overleaf. These projects are being funded by cashflow from operations.
Major projects at the processing plant include:
- Refurbishment of the primary crusher and oxide crusher dump pockets. Complete
- Civil works around the Primary Crusher retaining structures. 90% complete.
- Sandblasting and painting of mill steel structure. 80% complete.
- Replacement of corroded steelwork in process plant, conveyor transfer maintenance and
transfer replacement. 60% complete.
- Refurbishment of laboratory buildings. Complete
- Civil works to install temporary 6MW power plant. Complete.
- Vendor inspection of crushers and mill has commenced.
- Projects are proceeding on budget, on schedule and incident free.
Projects at the tailings dam include:
- Establishment of deposition compartments within the tailings dam footprint to accept tailings
to allow congruent hydraulic mining and tailing deposition.
- Deposition of tailings into the tailings dam, as opposed to the Morila Pit, commenced on 25
January 2021. This is the first step towards dewatering the Morila Pit. Water levels in the
Morila Pit have started to decline.
- Mechanical mining of the basal layer of tailings after hydraulic mining and prior to deposition
of tailings. Some 350,000 tonnes at approximately 0.4g/t gold has already been placed on the
ROM pad for treatment once comminution commences.
- Refurbishment of main drains in the tailings dam. Complete.
- Design of final TSF facility has commenced.
Projects at satellite pits include:
- N’tiola pit: dewatering completed, first pass drilling complete and announced to ASX,
Resource estimate and first pass mine design nearing completion with further infill drilling
underway targeting mineralisation near surface.
- Viper Pit: first pass infill and extension drilling complete, first results are now being received.
Further infill drilling anticipated to be carried out.
