Product Information

Processing

The Bissa process flowsheet is a simple, robust Carbon-in-Leach (“CIL”) design, well suited to the treatment of free milling gold.

The process consists of primary crushing before feeding to a SAG/Ball («SAB») grinding circuit, classification of the ground slurry product, thickening, leaching and carbon adsorption for recovery of the soluble gold and silver. The loaded carbon will be eluted using the AARL process and the precious metals electrowon onto stainless steel wool cathodes. The tailings is then sent to a TSF storage facility and water recycled back to the process All of the plant and equipment at Bissa is state of the art and new.

Infrastructure

A well-established base camp is located to the immediate east of the Bissa process plant and includes accommodation for about 180 people. In addition an admin office, laboratory and workshop/warehouse have also been constructed together with a haul road system.The project operates on a fly-in fly-out basis. A water management system comprising several sediment and water storage dams and a propose built raw water dam (Tiben Dam) clarifiers have been constructed. The Tiben raw water dam also provides a valuable year round water source to the local communities.

Power

Power is supplied from a 21MW heavy fuel oil (HFO) power power station located onsite.

Environment

Nordgold’s objective is that Bissa become an example of environmental excellence. The Bissa ores are naturally metallurgically clean and an industry tailings storage facilities designed and built by Golders ensures containment of waste products on site. Environmental considerations rank high in all aspects of the project’s development.

Contribution to the Nation

As Contractors to the Burkina Faso Government regarding the development of national mineral resources within the mine lease, the Company’s operating subsidiaries are obligated to ensure maximum benefit to nationals. The Company endeavours to act at all times in a sociably responsible way and recognises the local community as stakeholders in the project. It seeks their support and involvement in the project and is proud of the contribution that the project can make to the local community, province and nation.