Photo by: Endeavour Mining
Name of the Project
Lafigué gold project.
Location
On the Fetekro property, in Côte d’Ivoire.
Project Owner/s
Endeavour Mining has an 80% ownership stake in the Lafigué mine, with 10% owned by the Côte d’Ivoire government and 10% owned by State-owned mining company Sodemi.
Project Description
Lafigué has proven and probable reserves of 49.8-million tonnes grading 1.69 g/t gold. The deposit is amenable to conventional openpit, drill-and-blast mining, which will be undertaken by contractors.
The openpit will be developed in six stages, with a maximum mining capacity of 55-million tonnes a year. The mine will produce an average of 203 000 oz/y over a 12.8-year mine life.
Ore mining will occur in three to four flitches, selectively using smaller loading equipment to decrease dilution. Diesel excavators and trucks will be used for loading and haulage, with a fleet comprising 400 t class face shovels to load 180-t-capacity dump trucks for waste mining, and 200 t class excavators to load 180-t-capacity dump trucks for ore mining.
Ore will be processed through a four-million-tonne-a-year processing plant, based on only a fresh ore feed. The operation will involve two-stage crushing followed by a high-pressure grinding roll and ball milling circuit.
New infrastructure will be added to support mining, processing and waste management on the mining licence, including 6.6 km of internal roads, a 32 km power transmission line, emergency diesel generators, and additional site facilities and accommodation for staff. Space has been allocated to the north of the existing processing plant to potentially incorporate a solar power facility in the future.
Potential Job Creation
About 1 550 jobs are expected to be created during production.
Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has a pretax net present value, at a 5% discount rate, of $664-million and an internal rate of return of 25% at a $1 500/oz gold price, with a payback of 3.9 years.
Capital Expenditure
$448-million.
Planned Start/End Date
Construction started early in the fourth quarter of 2022 and was completed a quarter ahead of schedule on June 28, 2024.
Latest Developments
Endeavour Mining conducted its first gold pour from Lafigué on June 28, marking the delivery of the project’s construction on budget and a quarter ahead of schedule. The first gold pour included gold from the gravity and carbon-in-leach circuits, and yielded about 380 oz of gold.
Since the start of wet commissioning on May 30, about 77 000 t of ore have been processed through the Lafigué processing plant, with all circuits operating in line with expectations, the company has said.
The Lafigué mine is expected to achieve commercial production and ramp up to its nameplate capacity of four-million tonnes a year in the third quarter.
Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.
Contact Details for Project Information
Endeavour Mining, tel +44 203 011 2723 or email info@endeavourmining.com.