Access to iron ore in Gabon possible without pre-stripping waste

Access to iron ore in Gabon possible without pre-stripping waste

An update to the Detrital Iron Deposit Mineral at Genmin’s Bandjougoy prospect in Gabon indicates that the mine could have access to the ore body without the burden of pre-stripping large volumes of waste.     

Genmin reported an update to the Detrital Iron Deposit (DID) Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) for Bandjougoy prospect in a statement yesterday. The DID MRE has resulted in a new global Mineral Resource Statement for Baniaka (Global MRS).

Genmin’s 100% owned Baniaka Iron Ore Project comprises the Baniaka and Baniaka West exploration licences which cover a total area of 881km². Baniaka is Genmin’s most advanced project and exploration since 2013 has defined a cumulative strike length of 85km of iron mineralisation, which has been subdivided into 17 prospects.

Joe Ariti, Managing Director and CEO of Genmin, says that Bandjougoy is central to the company’s plan to develop Baniaka and achieving 100% Indicated classification, which enables the estimation of Ore Reserves.

“Bandjougoy has surface accumulations of DID mineralisation over broad extents providing immediate mining access without the burden of pre-stripping large volumes of waste.

In addition, pilot scale metallurgical test work has shown it produces 65% iron ore lump and fines products with the processing flowsheet designed for Baniaka,” says Ariti.

“The near term will also see Mineral Resource updates for Flouflou and Bingamba North, which along with Bandjougoy and Tsengué, form the DID Mineral Resources included in the Baniaka preliminary feasibility study,” adds Ariti.

Informed by drilling

The Bandjougoy DID Resource update was informed by Auger and diamond drilling and has resulted in 100% of the DID MRE now being classified as Indicated.

An additional 1.5 million tonnes (Mt) were added to the DID MRE, with iron grade improving marginally from 48.7% to 48.8% Fe.

According to Ariti the Bandjougoy Indicated DID MRE now stands at 19.9Mt grading 48.8% Fe. The DID MRE was completed by independent consultants Golder Associates and is reported in accordance with the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (2012 Edition) (JORC Code).

This DID MRE is based on assay results and geological information from 291 Auger drillholes for a total 3,761m (including 57 newly reported holes for 815m), and 35 diamond core drillhole intervals in the DID domain for a total of 291m.

Baniaka is divided into 12 major prospects at different levels of maturity. The Baniaka Preliminary Feasibility (PFS) includes Soft Oxide mineral resources from the Bandjougoy and Tsengué prospects and DID mineral resources from Bingamba North, Tsengué, Bandjougoy and Flouflou prospects (collectively PFS Prospects)

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