
PERSEUS Mining this week gave the green light to the $124.6m expansion of its Yaouré gold operation in Côte d’Ivoire – a development that will see mining continue at the site until at least 2035.
The final go-ahead for the project, however, lies with the Ivorian authorities which have yet to approve the project’s Environmental and Social Impact Assessment. A royal decree is also outstanding, although the project does have the support of the country’s mines and petroleum ministry.
If the regulatory approvals come in, the mining contractor is expected to mobilise on site at Yaouré by April with first underground development from 2026. Once developed, the expansion project will result in the first mechanised underground mine in Côte d’Ivoire.
Yaouré’s underground section will comprise 20% of total ore processed at mine, including the original open pit operation, but account for roughly half of metal produced.
Based on measured and indicated mineral resources of 55.6 million tons, grading at 1.52 gram per ton, total mineable gold will be 2.7 million oz of which 926,000 oz will be from underground. Although life of mine has been put at 2035, Perseus said there was further scope for life extension through additional discoveries of mineralisation down dip from the currently delineated mineralisation.