Name of the Project
Toega underground gold project.

Location
Sanbrado gold production centre, Burkina Faso.

Project Owner/s
Unhedged gold mining company West African Resources (WAF).

Project Description
WAF has delivered a maiden underground resource of 4.9-million tonnes grading 3.5 g/t gold for 560 000 oz for the proposed project.

Studies for a potential underground development beneath the Toega openpit at the Sanbrado gold project have outlined the potential for an initial seven-year underground mine. 
The scoping study is based on the same mining method – longhole open stoping with backfill – that is being used at Sanbrado’s M1 South underground, but using an owner-operated mining model. 

Under the scoping study, the Toega underground project is expected to deliver 5.7-million tonnes at 2.8 g/t for 515 000 oz, in addition to the Toega openpit production, over a seven-year mine life. Average gold production for the underground project is estimated at 81 000 oz/y of gold from years 2 to 6. 

Toega underground material is expected to displace up to one-million tonnes a year of lower-grade openpit material, resulting in a potential increase in production of about 50 000 oz/y of gold, compared with WAF’s most recent ten-year production plan.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
Preproduction capital expenditure is estimated at $42-million.

Planned Start/End Date
The scoping study proposes portal establishment works starting in 2028, with initial development ore expected about 12 months after the portal is established. Production ore is expected to ramp up shortly thereafter and reach steady-state about 24 months following portal establishment.

Latest Developments
Following the positive results of the scoping study, WAF plans to continue work on the proposed underground development.

Upcoming activities include infill and extensional drilling programmes, geotechnical and metallurgical studies, the evaluation of owner-operated mining and further optimisation of mine design and scheduling.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
Not disclosed.

Contact Details for Project Information
West African Resources, tel +61 8 9481 7344 or email info@westafricanresources.com.