Further potential identified for Tietto Minerals’ Abujar gold project after positive test work on low-grade ore
Global resources for Abujar now officially total 87.5Mt at 1.2g/t gold for 3.35Moz.
Test work on lower grade ore from Tietto Minerals’ (ASX: TIE) Abujar project in Cote d’Ivoire has generated heap leach gold recoveries up to 95% – potentially providing further value for the operation.
This test work was part of a scoping study to assess the addition of heap leach to the project’s 4.5 million tonne per annum carbon-in-leach (CIL) processing plant.
Tietto is evaluating using heap leach techniques to process lower grade ore from the project’s APG deposit with grades ranging from 0.16 grams per tonne gold to 0.54g/t gold.
Testing was completed on 140kg of diamond core samples of the lower grade ore, with results demonstrating heap leaching can be used on ore which cannot be economically processed at the 4.5Mtpa plant.
Additional value from Abujar
Tietto managing director Dr Caigen Wang said the use of heap leaching on lower grade ore has the potential to “extract additional value for shareholders” due to the “considerable amount” of low-grade halo material at APG.
“We asked the engineers to run a scoping study to quantify the economic benefits of an additional heap leach operation that could run in parallel with the 4.5Mtpa CIL processing path.”
“This scoping study will be incorporated into an update of Abujar’s life-of-mine production plan using the latest mineral resource, higher spot gold prices and increased Abujar mill throughput,” Dr Wang added.
First gold pour
A definitive feasibility study was published on Abujar last year, which indicated gold production of 260,000 ounces in its first year of operation, with 1.2Moz expected over the first six years.
The project has 3.45Moz in contained gold resources.
Following a $130 million placement, Dr Wang said the company was fully funded to production at Abujar, with first gold expected in the December quarter this year.
He said Abujar has the potential to become one of Cote d’Ivoire’s largest producing gold mines.
“Tietto has an experienced team on board to deliver Abujar on time and on budget.”
“We are on track to deliver another mineral resource update and first gold at Abujar later this year,” he added.