Exploration in Goias and Mato Grosso Q&A: Buddy Doyle, Amarillo Gold Exploration News Corporate News
BRAZIL EXPLORATION BRIEFING Vol 1 · February 2013
INTERIOR DESIGNS In a tight capital market, juniors and producers alike are seeking highly prospective yet low-cost projects in order to acquire necessary funding. Interior Brazil seems just the place. The state of Goiás was a ranching and agriculture backwater before the first gold discoveries in the early 1700s. Its border encircles a high plateau in the interior of Brazil, some 750 meters above sea level, where its elevation and numerous rivers made it a center of irrigation. It wasn’t until the founding of the historical town Goiás Velho that mining began to settle into the local mindset. Since then, the wealth procured through mining activity has left a visible trace: churches in the historic settlement are ornamented in elaborate, centuries-old gold finery. What was once a simple farming district is once again becoming a focus for explorers. Yet Brazil’s interior is often overlooked compared to states in the north and northeast of the country, where the majority of gold production occurs. However, an increasing number of producers are targeting large porphyry ore bodies in the states of Goiás and Mato Grosso, which host wide gold belts with world-class potential. Gold in these states isn’t high grade, but does offer highmargin options for companies short on cash. Infrastructure in parts of the interior is well developed, and numerous companies have reported near-surface oxide mineralization that may be suitable for low-cost operations. The region’s potential for large-scale deposits was underscored by AngloGold Ashanti’s decision to purchase the remaining 50% stake in Serra Grande, a 5.03Moz gold deposit located five kilometers from Crixás in Goiás. The company acquired Kinross
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Goias Velho Gold’s portion of the project in the second quarter of 2012 for $220 million in cash. The mine, located in the Crixás Greenstone Belt, produced 134,000oz of gold in 2011 at an average cash cost of $767 per ounce. After taking full ownership, however, the company expects to increase its annual gold production to 500,000oz and bring its overhead costs down below average.“We
Mineralization in the Greenstone Belt is associated with massive sulfides and vein quartz bodies that run in north-west strikes, distributed along three main north-west zones. In particular, the northern edge of the Belt—a hotspot for artisanal activity—is heavily associated with quartz sericite schists and highly sulfuric oxide zones.
And the rest will follow...
“We see long-term, lower-risk potential from Serra Grande, which is a key component of our strategy to grow the contribution from the Americas.” see long-term, lower-risk potential from Serra Grande, which is a key component of our strategy to grow the contribution from the Americas,” former CEO Mark Cutifani told the media following the deal.
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This low-cost, low-risk potential has attracted numerous juniors to Brazil’s interior, as they try to find the type of projects that the majors want. Facing a capital market that is currently rather disenchanted with greenfield exploration, many explorers are eyeing compact, short mine-life projects to fund operations and prove up properties. ASX-listed Cleveland Mining exemplifies this trend. Nudged up against Serra Grande is the Premier gold mine, one of Cleveland’s five projects in the Crixás goldfields, which in November 2012 began producing 40
BRAZIL EXPLORATION BRIEFING Vol 1 February 2013
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