African Gold Group, Inc (AGG), which is listed on the TSX-V, has announced that SENET (Pty) Ltd, has been awarded the contract to deliver an updated Definitive Feasibility Study for the Kobada gold project in Mali.
SENET is one of the leading project management and engineering firms in the field of mineral processing in Africa. It has delivered over 24 projects and studies in West Africa alone, and has a proven track record in taking projects from feasibility study through to production.
Drilling at the Kobada project (photo: AGG).
“Our vast experience in Africa has proven that no two projects are quite the same, therefore our approach has been to cater to our client’s specific requirements,” said Darren Naylor, Managing Director of SENET. “We are excited to be awarded this study on such an exciting project, specifically one in Mali where we have been involved in several early-stage projects. We are very excited to be given the opportunity to take this study through to engineering design of the mine, process plant and infrastructure. SENET has a proven track record in delivering projects on time and within budget and is looking forward to developing a mutually beneficial relationship with AGG.”
“We are very pleased to have SENET on board,” says Danny Callow, Chief Operating Officer of AGG. “SENET has time and again delivered projects in remote countries, with logistical and cross-border challenges and this is the type of expertise we require to take Kobada to the ‘ready for construction’ phase. SENET has a reputation for delivering projects on time and within budget and this is why we have appointed them on this project.”
SENET will oversee and consolidate studies from a number of industry experts to fast-track the Feasibility Study, which is expected to be completed by April 2020.
AGG has also announced that Minxcon Consulting (Pty) has been awarded the contract to oversee and manage the upcoming diamond drilling campaign at Kobada in order to confirm and add to the current resource.
Minxcon is an Africa-focused advisory company, specialising in geological project management, mineral resource estimation, geological modelling and data validation.
Minxcon oversaw the previous drilling campaign at Kobada in 2018. “We are very pleased to have signed Minxcon for the next drilling campaign as geological project managers,” says Dr Andreas Rompel, Vice President Exploration of AGG. “Minxcon has shown their competence and understanding of the project during the last phase and identified potential extensions to the current strike length which require further follow up drilling, and we are happy for them being on board.”
In another development, AGG reports it has given the go ahead for Entreprise Generale Traore Et Freres (EGTF) to complete the construction of the new camp at Kobada. EGTF is a Malian company with significant construction experience in West Africa, and has prior experience working at Kobada.
The current infrastructure is approximately 55 % complete, with most materials on site to complete the project. The new senior camp will consist of multiple comfortable accommodation units with en-suite bathrooms, a large dining room, kitchen and office complex to cater for the start-up phase, as well as on site water and electricity supply.
“The re-starting of construction of the new camp is critical to the success of the next phase of the Kobada project,” says Callow. “By having a world class secure facility to cater for the influx of mining and resource professionals, close to the operation, is more efficient and ensures boots on the ground throughout the process to delivering the Definitive Feasibility Study. The camp design is modular to provide expansion during the construction phase, and once the mine reaches steady state operations.” Renovations are expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2019.
The Kobada project is located in the Birimian greenstone belt in southern Mali. The original 2016 Feasibility Study on the project demonstrated a technically simple, open-pit operation with gravity separation and leach with an annual gold production of 50 koz. AGG, however, is now targeting plus 100 koz/a in a two-phase construction approach.