Can you provide an update on the Bibiani sulfide treatment plant?
We commenced the Bibiani sulfide treatment plant on September 29th this year, and the plant has run consistently since. The plant will allow us to increase recoveries from 60% to over 90% on the 4 million t/y nameplate capacity. About 30% of the gold at Bibiani occurs within the sulfide mineralization.
On the open-pit mine rejuvenation, we can move a lot more material: we are now moving about 7million t/month.
Asante is preparing updated NI 43-101 technical reports on both mines by April 2026. Could you update us on the LOM outlook for Bibiani and Chirano and upcoming exploration plans?
At Bibiani, the underground development takes the LOM past 2035, but based on how the orebodies are oriented, we expect Bibiani to be a generational asset with a LOM well beyond 2040. At Chirano, we have had spectacular exploration success, especially at Obra underground, where we confirmed the extension of mineralization. We are now looking at 2033–2034, and up to 2040 based on current resources. Our belief is that both assets have a long-term production outlook ahead of them.
We’re drawing out an exploration budget for Chirano and Bibiani, that we will deploy before the end of the year. The results coming out of these aggressive drilling campaigns will feed into the NI 43-101 reports, issued in April 2025.
West Africa is identified as one of the regions with the highest projected AISC increases. Are you seeing cost pressures?
We have a very solid understanding of the operational model for both mines and we do not see incremental AISC increases. Of course, capital drives AISC, so there will be a slight uptick in the numbers over the next couple of years. A lot of mines are being developed across West Africa, and that will have an impact on operational numbers, but as these mines become established, costs do come down.
Can you provide an update on the Bibiani sulfide treatment plant?
We commenced the Bibiani sulfide treatment plant on September 29th this year, and the plant has run consistently since. The plant will allow us to increase recoveries from 60% to over 90% on the 4 million t/y nameplate capacity. About 30% of the gold at Bibiani occurs within the sulfide mineralization.
On the open-pit mine rejuvenation, we can move a lot more material: we are now moving about 7million t/month.
Asante is preparing updated NI 43-101 technical reports on both mines by April 2026. Could you update us on the LOM outlook for Bibiani and Chirano and upcoming exploration plans?
At Bibiani, the underground development takes the LOM past 2035, but based on how the orebodies are oriented, we expect Bibiani to be a generational asset with a LOM well beyond 2040. At Chirano, we have had spectacular exploration success, especially at Obra underground, where we confirmed the extension of mineralization. We are now looking at 2033–2034, and up to 2040 based on current resources. Our belief is that both assets have a long-term production outlook ahead of them.
We’re drawing out an exploration budget for Chirano and Bibiani, that we will deploy before the end of the year. The results coming out of these aggressive drilling campaigns will feed into the NI 43-101 reports, issued in April 2025.
West Africa is identified as one of the regions with the highest projected AISC increases. Are you seeing cost pressures?
We have a very solid understanding of the operational model for both mines and we do not see incremental AISC increases. Of course, capital drives AISC, so there will be a slight uptick in the numbers over the next couple of years. A lot of mines are being developed across West Africa, and that will have an impact on operational numbers, but as these mines become established, costs do come down.
