Endeavour Mining plc has announced that the first gold pour from the Sabodala-Massawa BIOX® Expansion project (“BIOX® Expansion”) in Senegal took place on 18 April 2024, marking the successful delivery of the BIOX® Expansion project on schedule and on budget with no lost time injuries.
Ian Cockerill, CEO, commented “We are proud to have achieved our first gold pour at the Sabodala-Massawa BIOX® Expansion with over 3.5 million man hours worked with no lost time injuries.
We have commissioned the project and delivered first gold in only 2 years, marking the fourth capital project that we have completed in the last 10 years. All of these have been completed in two years or less, and have been delivered on schedule, on budget and with no lost time injuries. This is a testament to the quality of our projects team and the competitive advantage we have in West Africa.
At the Sabodala-Massawa BIOX® Expansion we expect to achieve nameplate capacity in Q3-2024 driving stronger production at lower all-in sustaining costs through the year, sustaining the Sabodala-Massawa complex’s industry leading cost profile.
With the Sabodala-Massawa expansion successfully commissioned, we are now focussed on delivering the Lafigué project in the coming weeks, a full quarter ahead of schedule. The successful launch of both the Sabodala-Massawa expansion and the Lafigué project will further improve the quality of the portfolio, adding low-cost production and extending mine life visibility. The completion of the two projects underpins our transition to a more cash flow generative phase, from the second half of the year, when we will focus on enhancing shareholder returns and de-levering our balance sheet, as we continue to execute on our strategy.”
Since the start of wet commissioning on 27 February 2024, approximately 50,000 tonnes of ore have been processed through the BIOX® Expansion, with the processing plant operating in line with expectations. The first gold pour from the gravity circuit was completed on 18 April 2024 and yielded approximately 112 ounces of gold, the first gold pour from the BIOX® circuit was completed on 28 April 2024 and yielded approximately 612 ounces. The BIOX® Expansion is expected to achieve commercial production in late Q2-2024 and ramp up to its stable nameplate capacity of 1.2Mtpa, in Q3-2024.
Em Sabodala-Massawa, 2,3 – 2,7Moz de descobertas de recursos indicados estão sendo planejados durante o período de 2021 a 2025, dos quais 1,0Moz já foi descoberto. Este ano, um agressivo programa de exploração de US$ 21,0 milhões, totalizando aproximadamente 126.000 metros de perfuração, foi planejado com o objetivo de converter os recursos existentes em reservas e delinear recursos refratários e não refratários adicionais nas licenças de mineração de Sabodala e Massawa, além do recentemente adquiriu licença de exploração de Niamaya a nordeste do complexo Sabodala-Massawa. A licença de Niamaya está localizada nas proximidades da unidade de processamento e aumenta o tamanho do pacote de exploração Sabodala-Massawa em 43 km sq., para 1.272 km Sq.
The exploration program will focus on converting existing resources to reserves, principally at the Delya, Samina, Tina, Kerekounda and Golouma deposits that are in close proximity to the Sabodala-Massawa processing plant.
The exploration program will also target additional non-refractory oxide resources at the Niakafiri, Kerekounda, Golouma, Kiesta and Delya deposits. At the Niakafiri, Kerekounda and Golouma deposits, within 10 kilometres of the Sabodala-Massawa processing plant, drilling will focus will on extending mineralisation along the Niakafiri and Kerekounda mineralised trends. At the Kiesta and Delya deposits, drilling will focus on expanding the existing resources along strike and at depth.
Refractory resources will be targeted at the Massawa Complex, where the exploration programme is focussed on extending resources at depth in the Massawa Central Zone pits and along the Main Transcurrent Zone structural corridor towards the Kanoumba complex and the Kwasara target.
Source: Endeavour Mining