Name:
Syama mine.

Location:
Syama is located in the south-west of Mali, about 30 km from the Côte d’Ivoire border and 300 km south-east of Bamako.

Mine Owner/s:
Syama is owned by Société des Mines de Syama, in which Australian miner Resolute has an 80% stake, with the Mali government holding the remaining 20%.

Brief Description:
Syama is a large-scale operation, comprising the established Syama underground mine; the Tabakoroni Complex, which comprises an openpit and a recently discovered underground ore reserve, along with several satellite oxide pits.

Brief History:
Syama was acquired by Resolute in 2004.

Primary Metals/Minerals:
Gold.

Secondary Metals/Minerals:
None stated.

Geology/Mineralisation:
Publisher Progressive Media International’s online energy-focused platform NS Energy noted in 2019 that Syama is situated on the northern edge of the Achaean-Proterozoic Leo Shield, which is the southern portion of the West African craton.

The project tenements are hosted near basalt and argillite of Kadiana–Madinani terrane and polymictic conglomerate and sediments of the Kadiolo terrane.

Pyrite is the most abundant sulphide mineral within the Syama mineralised zone, with overall mineralisation disseminated in highly altered basalt and sediments, within breccia matrix and quartz veinlets.

Reserves: 
Total proven and probable reserves as at December 31, 2022, were estimated at 49.1-million tonnes grading 2.6 g/t containing 4.11-million ounces. Proven reserves were estimated at 88-million tonnes grading 1.6 g/t for 148 000 oz of gold, and probable reserves at 46.22-million tonnes grading 2.7 g/t for 3.96-million ounces of gold.

Resources:
Total measured resources as at December 31, 2022, were estimated at 25.6-million tonnes grading 3.2 g/t containing 2.64-million ounces of gold. Indicated resources were estimated at 58.83-million tonnes grading 2.9 g/t, containing 5.57-million ounces of gold. Inferred resources were estimated at 39.2-million tonnes grading 1.8 g/t, containing 2.26-million ounces of gold.

The total mineral resource estimate amounts to 123.6-million tonnes grading 2.6 g/t, containing 10.4-million ounces.

Type of Mine:
Primarily underground, with openpit oxide operations.

Mining Method  
Sublevel cave operation for the underground mine.

Major Infrastructure/Equipment  
The mine has a fleet of development jumbos, production drills, loaders and trucks, as well as a twin decline access and variable-speed primary ventilation system.

The sulphide-processing circuit comprises three-stage crushing, followed by ore grinding. The grinding circuit consists of three mills. Ground ore is then fed to the concentrator, which contains one skim air, two roughers, four scavengers and three cleaner cells to produce auto-thermal concentrate as feed to the roaster, which is an auto-thermal circulating fluid bed roaster operating at about 720°C. The plant also includes carbon-in-leach, elution and electrowinning and smelting circuits.

Prospects:
The Syama sulphide processing circuit has been progressively upgraded by Resolute, with particular attention being paid to the roaster. After the major planned shutdowns in 2022, throughput and use have increased, with the interval between future shutdowns extended by replacing much of the refractory lining.

Resolute continues to identify opportunities to enhance sulphide plant throughput and recoveries. It was noted in the Gold Forum Americas Presentation last month that Resolute had investigated flowsheet changes to increase overall sulphide ore processing capacity by 60%, from 2.4-million tonnes to 4-million tonnes a year by modifying the oxide comminution circuit.

This change will enable the plant to be fed from multiple ore sources, including Syama North, Syama Underground and high-grade stockpiles, which increases operational flexibility to switch between processing oxide or sulphide ore.

The plant modification is expected to cost $52-million, with commissioning expected in the first half of 2025.

Earlier this year, at the 2023 Investing in African Mining Indaba, Resolute MD and CEO Terry Holohan noted that the company had spent $20-million in sustaining capital for Syama, including replacing the underground fleet and other minor projects.

He also noted that the company had allocated $4-million to Syama expansion study projects and a further $4-million to increase throughput capacity at the Syama sulphide circuit. In addition, a portion of $16-million in exploration spend was allocated to gain more insight on Syama North.

Contact Details
Resolute
Tel +618 9261 6100
Email contact@rml.com.au

Sources
NS Energy. Website https://www.nsenergybusiness.com
NS Energy. Syama gold mine (February 28, 2019)

Resolute. Website https://www.rml.com.au
Resolute. Assets. Syama, Mali overview.
Resolute. Mining Indaba Presentation (February 06, 2023).
Resolute. Ore reserves and mineral resource statement (March 08, 2023).
Resolute. Gold Forum Americas Presentation (September 18, 2023).