Ethiopia Regional
Nyota holds six exploration licences (“EPL”) totalling +3400 km2 and has other applications pending. Four EPL’s;Tulu Kapi, Yubdo, Billa Gulliso and Ankore are located in the Tulu Kapi area (281 km2) and a further two licences, Brantham and Towchester (3147 km2) are located approximately 100 km north of Tulu Kapi. The current JORC Resource relates specifically to the Tulu Kapi licence. Exploration is operated on a number of fronts. A Proximal and Satellite programme is testing targets located within a 5 km radius of the planned Tulu Kapi mine site aimed at providing additional feed for the plant. A southern regional programme is targeting prospects situated in the Yubdo and Billa Gulliso EPL’s in a radius of 25 km of Tulu Kapi. A separate northern regional programme is testing prospects identified within the Brantham and Towchester EPL’s.
Multiple targets have been generated within all of Nyota’s EPL’s and the Company has refined target prioritization such that an aggressive evaluation programme can commence in Q4, 2011. Current priorities within the southern EPL’s include the following:
- Chalti: Extensive gold in soil target with coincident geophysical anomaly covering a surface area significantly larger than the current Tulu Kapi deposit;
- UNDP: Multiple drill intersections located adjacent to the Tulu Kapi Resource with scope for an expansion of the planned open pit;
- Chago: Large volcanic Massive sulphide target;
- Dina and Soyoma: 8.23 g/t Au over 7.1 m in drillhole, 8.2 g/t Au over 14.2 m in trench respectively.
Current northern EPL priority targets include:
- Boka Serba: Skarn mineralisation with 10.5 km of strike length, abundant gossan development and ample evidence of gold mineralisation in heavy mineral concentrate samples;
- Tsole Mole: 2 km strike length of continuous quartz vein with gold and base metal mineralisation identified;
- Palaeo Abay: Elluvial/Alluvial prospect with over 17 km of strike and gold mineralisation identified in heavy mineral concentrates and production by local artisanal miners.
Technical
A JORC Compliant Resource of 15.96 mt at 2.84 g/t Au containing 1.46 Moz Au (combined Indicated and Inferred) was reported at the end of July 2011 located within the 8.44 km2 Tulu Kapi Licence. This resource update was accompanied by the construction of a new geological model confirming the presence of shallow dipping stacked lensoid gold mineralisation bounded within broad envelopes of albite alteration underpinned by a highgrade Feeder Zone style massive sulphide body located at depth. Preliminary mine design envisages ore extraction via a combination of both open pit and underground development. Subject to detailed evaluation, the Company expects underground sub-level open stoping with access via a decline to operate in parallel with open pit mining thereby providing highgrade feed (In-situ grade >5.50 g/t Au) to the processing plant during the early years of production. The Tulu Kapi drill programme is continuing to add further gold ounces by testing open pit extensions to mineralisation (NE & NW Extensions), cross-cutting high-grade structures as well as further extension to the high-grade Feeder Zone at depth and a new resource update is provisionally scheduled for early 2012.Metallurgical testwork indicates ore is amenable to standard carbon in leach processing. Engineering, hydro-geological and geotechnical studies are well-advanced ahead of Definitive Feasibility Studies scheduled to commence in Q4, 2011 once the Ministry of Mines has awarded a mining licence.
Community Development
JEMA International Consulting PLC (Addis Ababa) and SRK consulting (Johannesburg) were commissioned to complete an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) to Equator Principle Standards for the Tulu Kapi Gold Project. Currently Nyota is tendering the ESIA Definitive Feasibility Study. The ESIA includes baseline field work, socioeconomic studies and long term monitoring programmes such as water and air quality. Individual specialist studies will be compliant with Equator Principles and Ethiopian regulations. Nyota has also implemented a comprehensive OH&S Programme.
Grade 9 students in the newly constructed Worke Gudji Secondary School (shown in the picture above), West Wollega Zone, Ethiopia. A community development project to build and furnish a secondary school in the community where exploration occurs, funded by Nyota Minerals in partnership with the Ministry of Education of Gendji Woreda, and the community of Kapi Gurachu.