お知らせ • Jun 22
B2Gold Corp. Announces Updated and Significantly Increased Mineral Resource Estimate for the Anaconda Area, Located Near the Fekola Mine, Mali
B2Gold Corp. announced an updated and significantly increased Mineral Resource estimate for the Anaconda Area, comprised of the Menankoto permit, the Bantako North permit, and the Bakolobi permit, located approximately 20 kilometers from the Fekola Mine. The updated Mineral Resource estimate includes a significant increase in the laterite, saprolite and saprock Mineral Resources, and an initial sulphide Indicated Mineral Resource estimate. The updated Anaconda Area Mineral Resource models were prepared in-house by B2Gold personnel. Drilling completed in support of the June 2023 Mineral Resource estimate includes 568 diamond drill holes (135,539 meters), 2,387 reverse circulation holes (287,770 m) and 3,714 aircore holes (156,625 m) for a total of 6,669 drill holes (579,933 m). Mineralization and weathering domains were modeled in three-dimensions with mineralization domains used to control estimation of gold grades. Oxide mineralization was modeled using logged weathering and lithology codes. Mineralization within the weathered profile is interpreted as an extension to underlying sulphide mineralization. The main controls on sulphide mineralization are west-dipping shear zones with an underlying lithological and alteration component. Assays were capped by mineralization domain, with capping ranging from 1.0 g/t to 12.0 g/t gold in the low grade zones, 2.0 g/t to 17.0 g/t gold in the medium grade zones and 6.0 g/t to 35.0 g/t gold in the high grade zones. Gold grades were capped prior to compositing to 2 m. Grades were estimated into the block models using Ordinary Kriging and Inverse Distance Squared with searches dynamically controlled along main mineralization zone directions. Approximately 25,538 bulk density measurements were made at site on drill core samples using the Archimedes water-displacement method. Nominal drill hole spacing for oxide Indicated Mineral Resources is aircore, or reverse circulation drilling at 40 x 40 m supplemented by reverse circulation or core drilling at 80 x 80 m, and for Inferred Mineral Resources drill hole spacing is nominally 80 x 80 m. In 2023, B2Gold is conducting a $35 million exploration program at the Fekola Complex, comprised of the Fekola Mine and the adjacent Cardinal Zone on the Medinandi permit, the Anaconda Area (Bantako North, Menankoto, and Bakolobi), and the Dandoko permit. The initial focus of the 178,000 m drill program has been the Anaconda Area, which includes the Mamba, Adder, Anaconda, Cascabel, Boomslang, Taipan and Cobra zones. As a significant contributor to the Anaconda AreaJune 2023 Mineral Resource estimate, the Mamba Zone continues to be the subject of a focused campaign of infill drilling. Approximately 30,000 m of drilling have been completed on Mamba to date in 2023. Current drilling is targeting the upgrade of sulphide Inferred Mineral Resources beneath the portion of the Mamba pit scheduled for the earliest phase of oxide mining. Concurrent sulphide exploration drilling is ongoing and continues to return high grade-width intersections. Hole MSD_288 returned 1.73 g/t gold over 21.17 m, from 559.10 m, and 5.53 g/t gold over 12.20 m, from 663.90 m, and is over 300 m down plunge from MSD_241 (8.60 g/t gold over 46.0 m) which was one of the highest gram-meter intercepts drilled to date in the Anaconda Area. With the recent oxide infill program complete, most of the recent drilling has been directed at sulphide targets, though several significant intervals of oxide mineralization have been recently intersected. Mineralization remains open at depth along this shallowly plunging zone. The Cobra Zone has been a significant contributor to the total oxide Mineral Resource estimate in the Anaconda Area and continues to generate significant intervals of both oxide- and sulphide-hosted mineralization. The southernmost portion of Cobra comprises a separate geological structure, which is currently being explored as the Taipan Zone. Recent drilling on the Cobra and Taipan zones have returned encouraging intervals of oxide and sulphide mineralization, with Taipan also returning particularly strong sulphide intercepts. For 2023, the Company has budgeted a total of $63 million for Fekola Regional development. The construction mobile equipment fleet is now in operation, and construction of the haul roads and mining infrastructure (warehouse, workshop, fuel depot, and offices) is on schedule to support saprolite production from the Bantako North permit area as early as the third quarter of 2023. Based on B2Gold's preliminary planning, the Anaconda Area could provide selective higher grade saprolite material (average annual grade of up to 2.2 g/t gold) to be trucked approximately 20 km and fed into the Fekola mill at a rate of up to 1.5 Mtpa. Trucking of selective higher grade saprolite material from the Anaconda Area to the Fekola mill will increase the ore processed and has the potential to generate approximately 80,000 to 100,000 ounces of initial gold production per year from Fekola Regional sources (Fekola Regional Phase I). Initial saprolite production from the Bantako North permit is expected to contribute approximately 18,000 ounces of gold in 2023, with Fekola Regional production levels continuing to progress through 2024. Preliminary results of a Fekola Complex optimization study indicate that there is a significant opportunity to increase gold production and resource utilization with the addition of oxide processing capacity. The Company is progressing an engineering study of a Fekola Regional stand-alone mill and oxide processing facilities (expected to be located on the Anaconda Area). Construction of a stand-alone oxide mill would constitute Phase II of the Fekola Regional Development Plan. The engineering study will be based on processing 4 Mtpa of oxide resources. Results of the study are expected in the fourth quarter of 2023. In addition, Fekola Complex optimization work continues to maximize project value from all the various oxide and sulphide material sources including the Fekola Pit, Fekola Underground, Cardinal Pit, and the Bantako North, Menankoto, Bakolobi and Dandoko permits. The Company’s conceptual analysis indicates that the combined Fekola Mine and Fekola Regional processing facilities could have the potential to produce more than 800,000 ounces of gold per year from the Fekola Complex, subject to delineation of additional mineral resources and development, completion of feasibility studies, and the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals and permits.