Bassari Resources says it has appointed Senegal-registered Junction Contract Mining SARL (JCM) as the contract miner for its Makabingui gold project.

JCM, which is headquartered in Perth, West Australia, has a long and successful history of contract mining in West Africa, according to the ASX-listed company.

A feasibility study on Makabingui, in Senegal, showed plans for an initial 1 Mt open-pit project mining at 5.7g/t Au for 174,000 oz of production inventory. This came with a $90 million “pre-capex” bill.

Bassari said the contract miner has already arranged for the supply and immediate import to Senegal of the necessary mining equipment, including excavators, trucks, loaders, drilling rigs, grader, bulldozer, compactor, telehander, etc.

The appointment provides significant capital savings to the project, Bassari said, adding that the new equipment, sourced in Europe, facilitates mining commencing in the near term, following the arrival of the equipment into Dakar.

JCM work will include, but not be confined to the following:

• Planning and management of the mining work;
• Mobilisation and establishment;
• Maintenance of mining plant and equipment;
• Clearing and grubbing of the mine site;
• Construct and manage all in-pit drainage;
• Drill and blast ore and waste material;
• Provide all explosives and blasting agents;
• Excavation and haulage of all waste rock;
• Selective mining and haulage of all ores to stockpiles and processing plant;
• Construct and maintain all on-site access and haul roads;
• Management of stockpiling and dumping areas;
• Provide grade control samples from RC and blasthole drilling;
• Carry out secondary crushing of ore at mine site; and
• Provision of management, safety, environmental and quality assurance plans.