AFRICA STORIES

Mana from heaven

Since its first gold pour in 2008, SEMAFO’s Mana mine in Burkina Faso has gone from strength to strength. More than 1.2Moz of gold have been produced and the plant has been expanded four times to a current processing rate of over 7,200 tonnes per day. Key to this past success and the mine’s future has been a strong record of exploration success within close proximity of the mill. Since November 1999, more than 1.2 million meters including auger drilling have been drilled on the extensive Mana property. One of the most significant discoveries is the Siou deposit, located 15km from the Mana plant, where proven and probable reserves of 1Moz at grades of 4.37g/t have been estimated and all accessible via open pit. This consistent commitment to exploration and of course the successes that have followed have been enough to ensure SEMAFO a nomination for Mining Journal's Outstanding Achievement Award for Exploration.