Tag Archives: Mali

Hummingbird making short work of second ball mill project at Yanfolila gold mine

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Hummingbird Resources’ plan to install a second ball mill and increase production capacity at its Yanfolila gold mine, in Mali, is tracking ahead of expectations, the company says.

The second ball mill will increase throughput capacity from 1 Mt/y to 1.24 Mt/y when operating at 100% fresh ore and from 1.2 Mt/y to 1.4 Mt/y when processing a blend of ore types, according to Hummingbird.

The mill was deemed the preferential choice when considering the alternative option of installing a tertiary crusher, which was included in the mine’s definitive feasibility study.

Since commencing the project in September 2018, the company has continued to reach advancement targets and both the engineering and civil works are now fully complete, Hummingbird said.

Back then, the company said the mill installation was expected to set the company back $13 million, with the plant due to be operational this September quarter.

The Yanfolila crushing circuit is currently a two-stage operation incorporating both primary and secondary crushing circuits designed to treat a blend of oxide and harder ores. The ore is non-refractory and the process plant design uses gravity and carbon-in-leach for the processing and recovery of the gold which averages 92.5% over the life of mine.

Notable recently completed construction works include the mechanical installation of the mill, structural steel assembly, fitting of the feed and ball loading chute, and installation of the gearbox cooling system. Outstanding works include installation of the sump pumps and electrical systems, which are ahead of schedule.

“The project remains on budget and, furthermore, all equipment for the project is now on site, with procurement and logistics teams having successfully coordinated full delivery,” Hummingbird said.

Commissioning of the completed mill is due to start in July with full capacity ore throughput expected in August.

Dan Betts, CEO of Hummingbird, said: “At full capacity, the mine will benefit from economies of scale, with no requirement for additional staff to the second mill, so we therefore look forward to a lowering cost profile with increasing production rates over the life of mine.”

Birimian charges DRA Global with flowsheet optimisation at Goulamina lithium project

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ASX-listed lithium hopeful, Birimian, says it has selected DRA Global to provide engineering services to optimise the process flowsheet for the Goulamina lithium project in Mali.

The scope of work will include the following deliverables, Birimian said:

  • Review and interpretation of the metallurgical test work;
  • Process design criteria;
  • Mass and water balance;
  • Block flow diagram;
  • Process flow diagrams, and;
  • Mechanical equipment list.

Birimian said the work is key to developing and optimising the design of the process plant for Goulamina and to the subsequent production of a capital cost estimate to the +/-10% level of accuracy required for the definitive feasibility study (DFS). The DFS is due for completion in the March quarter of 2020.

DRA has recently been involved in the execution of number of lithium studies and projects, with the key personnel assigned to Birimian having played an integral role in the design and commissioning of three lithium projects in Western Australia in the last 12 months, Birimian said.

“[They] will contribute an unrivalled combination of knowledge and experience in an area which is crucial to the success of the Goulamina lithium project,” the company said.

The recommended development scenario as outlined in a 2018 updated prefeasibility study showed an open-pit mining operation and a 2 Mt/y mineral concentrating plant, able to produce 362,000 t/y of 6% Li2O spodumene concentrate. The maiden ore reserve came in at 31.2 Mt at 1.56% Li2O, which was derived from an indicated mineral resource of 43.7 Mt at 1.48% Li2O, supporting a 16-year operating life at 2 Mt/y.

B2Gold weighs up in-pit crushing and conveying as Fekola mine expansion economics stack up

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B2Gold’s plan to expand its Fekola gold mine, in Mali, by 1.5 Mt/y could see an up to $56 million investment in additional excavators, trucks, drills, support equipment and wheel loaders, according to the latest project economic study.

The expansion study preliminary economic analysis showed the company could increase throughput to 7.5 Mt/y, from the current 6 Mt/y base rate, by injecting just under $50 million over a period of some 18 months for processing expansion and upgrades.

As currently envisioned, the processing upgrade would focus on increased ball mill power, with upgrades to other components including a new cyclone classification system, pebble crushers, and additional leach capacity to support the higher throughput and increase operability.

“Critical path items include ball mill motors and the lime slaker, both of which will be commissioned in Q3 (September quarter) 2020,” B2Gold said.

“In parallel with the expansion, B2Gold is studying the addition of a solar power plant, which would reduce operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions. The current on-site power plant has sufficient capacity to support the expanded processing throughput, with or without the solar plant.”

On top of this, the company would need to invest in its mining fleet.

The current mining fleet consists of four Caterpillar 6020B excavators with haul trucks, drills, and support equipment to match, and mines an average of 36 Mt/y. The Whittle study results currently indicate mining production rates ranging from 54 Mt/y to 76 Mt/y are optimal to support the expanded processing rates over the life of mine and optimise head grade during the period 2020-2024.

B2Gold said: “Increased production will be achieved with the addition of two to four excavators with corresponding trucks, drills, and support equipment. Large front-end loaders would also be included to maintain fleet flexibility.

“Mine fleet expansion timing and scale will be optimised during Q2 (June quarter) 2019 and will generally be equipment loan/lease financed over a five-year period. The study has included $28 million for expansion to 54 Mt/y and an additional $28 million (for a total of $56 million) to go to 76 Mt/y.

“In parallel with the Whittle study, B2Gold is reviewing in-pit crushing and conveying as a means to reduce operating costs and potentially implement tailings and waste co-disposal at the Fekola mine.”

The expansion study estimated optimised that the life of mine could extend into 2030, including significant estimated increases in average annual gold production to over 550,000 oz/y during the five-year period 2020-2024 and over 400,000 oz/y over the life of mine (2019-2030).

This would see an increase in project net present value of approximately $500 million versus the comparable amounts in the company’s latest AIF mineral reserve life of mine model based on a $1,300/oz gold price and a discount rate of 5%.

Resolute hits milestone at Syama sublevel cave gold project

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Resolute Mining Limited has commenced sublevel cave ore production at the Syama Underground project in Mali, West Africa.

The extraction of first ore from the southern end of the 1105 level of the Syama sublevel cave marks the anticipated beginning of the main caving operation at Syama and the achievement of a major milestone for the company, Resolute said.

Resolute’s Managing Director and CEO, John Welborn, said: “Syama will be the world’s first, purpose built, fully automated sublevel cave gold mine. It is a world-class, long life, low cost asset that will deliver long term benefits to our shareholders, stakeholders, and local Mali communities for years to come.”

Resolute has partnered with Sandvik to deliver the automation solution at Syama, with the OEM also supplying the underground fleet, which includes automated Sandvik TH663 trucks and LH621, LH517 and LH514E LHDs.

Welborn went on to say Syama would be the most sophisticated and advanced gold mine in Africa.

“Our investment in exploration, infrastructure, technology, power, and innovation at Syama has transformed a world-class orebody into a world-class mine,” he said.

Resolute has an ambition to be a leader in sustainable and responsible economic growth in Africa, according to Welborn. The company recently announced plans to build a new 40 MW Syama Solar Hybrid Power Plant which will deliver an expected 40% savings on power costs and is expected to be the world’s largest mine-based, off-grid fully integrated independent solar hybrid power plant.

In addition to this, the company is working on Project 85, a series of sulphide processing plant upgrades, that will enable the company to achieve improved recoveries from high-grade ore sourced from the new sublevel cave, he said.

“The combination of mine automation, improved recoveries, and lower cost power has the potential to increase Syama site production to 300,000 oz/y of gold and reduce life-of-mine all-in sustaining costs to below $750/oz,” he added.

The initial development of the sublevel cave infrastructure including the twin declines and access to the first four sublevel levels of the cave, the 1130, 1105,1080 and 1055 sub levels, has been established. Approximately 400,000 t of development and long hole stoping ore have been extracted from the underground mine to date. Mining rates will gradually build up over the first half of 2019 and are expected to reach nameplate capacity of 200,000 t/mth by the end of June 2019.

Resolute powers up for electrification of Syama Underground gold mine in Mali

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Australia-based Resolute Mining has more than just autonomy on its mind at the in-development Syama Underground gold mine in Mali. The company is also weighing up full electrification of its mining and development fleet.

Resolute has partnered with Sandvik to deliver the automation solution at Syama, with the OEM also supplying the underground fleet, which includes automated Sandvik TH663 trucks and LH621, LH517 and LH514E LHDs

Sub-level caving is expected to commence at the planned 2.4 Mt/y operation in December 2018, Resolute Chief Operating Officer Peter Beilby told IM. “We will then ramp up to full automation and run-rate production by June 2019,” he added.

Resolute has previously said one of the reasons for its choice of equipment at Syama Underground was “anticipating the logical next step in the evolution of underground machinery to battery-powered operation”.

When IM asked Beilby about this, he responded: “We strongly believe that, as well as going automated, mining is going electric.”

While the initial fleet will have some diesel loaders for development headings and diesel-powered trucks, plus drilling equipment with small diesel motors, Resolute is already scheduled to have a tethered version of the Sandvik LH414E, and, Beilby revealed, a DD422iE, Sandvik’s battery-powered electric mining jumbo.

This battery-powered jumbo, designed to drive down production costs while reducing the environmental impacts of drilling and tunnelling, is also in use at Goldcorp’s Borden development project in Ontario, Canada.

And, it appears this is just the start of Resolute’s electrification plans at the project.

“We certainly want to pursue further electrification,” Beilby said, adding: “I have no doubt that in, say, five years’ time, we will be a lot further down the track with electric mining.”

IM was speaking to Peter Beilby as part of a longer interview for the Big Data and digitalisation feature to be published in the upcoming IM November issue.