Semafo active on four fronts in West Africa

Following a break during the rainy season, Montreal-based Semafo (SMF-T) has begun exploring for minerals in four West African countries.

In Niger, on the Samira-Libiri properties, the company is engaged in augering and geochemical sampling in an attempt to find land suitable for mining infrastructure. Drilling and induced-polarization (IP) surveys will test recently discovered soil geochemical anomalies immediately north of the Libiri gold deposits. A revised feasibility study last summer considered the exploitation of the Samira Hill and Libiri deposits at a milling rate of 6,000 tonnes per day. At full steam, the mine is expected to produce 130,000 oz. gold annually for the first three years and 70,000-80,000 oz. in the following three.

Semafo and Etruscan Resources (EET-T) each hold a 40% interest in Samira. The remaining 20% is held by the government of Niger.

In Burkina Faso, on the Mana-Fobiri properties, follow-up trenching, mapping, geochemical soil-sampling, and IP surveying are under way. Targets include the Nyafe extension SW, Filon 67, Wona, Fofina and Maoula anomalies. A program of 3,000 metres of reverse-circulation (RC) drilling will begin soon.

On the Segala properties in Mali, the extensions of the Segala Main, Dar Salam and Moralia deposits will be explored prior to a 3,200-metre drill program aimed at testing a series of geochemical anomalies.

In Guinea, on the Jean-Gobele property, Semafo plans drilling to extend resources immediately around the known Jean and Gobele gold-bearing structures.