Mali: Digby Wells Environmental Undertaking Environmental and Social Impact Assessment for Gold Project in the Yanfolila Gold Belt

By Abdul Rahman Bangura–

NEW AFRICA DAILY NEWS ( NADN ) Freetown, Sierra Leone- The West African focused gold developer – Cora Gold has authorized the transnational environmental consultants – Digby Wells Environmental to undertake the environmental and social impact appraisal for its Sanankoro Gold Project in the Yanfolila Gold Belt of Southern Mali.

Cora Gold persists to progress Sanankoro which has a favorable scoping research finalized on it with 84% IRR at a US$1,400 gold price.

Originally, Cora Gold is proposed on resource advancement and then if profitable, the liberation of the Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) before the verge of 2021.

Moving forward, to this accelerated policy for Sanankoro ahead, the firm has ordained Digby Wells to administer an environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) in agreement with the International Finance Corporation Performance Standards for the project. The anthology of baseline data for the ESIA has already begun.

Deliverables will comprise professional surveys, varying from ecological, water and social researches, a notional closure and restoration plan, a stakeholder engagement process, a resettlement policy framework and a community development scheme.

Cora Gold formerly worked with Digby Wells to finish an introductory environmental and social screening study in 2019 as part of the project’s scoping survey. This scoping research exhibited Sanankoro’s probable to be a highly prosperous standalone oxide mine, delivering a high IRR and short capex payback period.

“As one of the largest environmental consulting firms in Africa focused on the resources sector, with extensive in-house expertise in the environmental and social field, we are delighted to be working with the Digby Wells team again,” announces Cora Gold Chief Executive Officer – Bert Monroe.

“The ESIA is significant to the achievement of the DFS, which we are concentrated on finishing off before the end of 2021, coming after additional research in 2020, and as we stare farther forth, to transitioning from adventurer to developer, will support our future exploitation permit application. Monroe furthered.

Preceding to the cessation of the Sanankoro research permit on February 1st, 2020, the corporation fulfilled an application for the grant of a new warrant over the area covered by the Sanankoro permit. The company looks forward to announcing the award of a new permit in due course once the necessary process set out in the Mining Code has occurred.

Sanankoro’s authorization was one of the five licenses that concurrently encompass the Sanankoro gold project area, these include Bokoro (permit expires August 2022), Bokoro Est (permit expires September 2026), Dako II (permit expires December 2025) and Kodiou (permit expires May 2022).

For New Africa Daily News Abdul Rahman Bangura Reports,  Africa Correspondent

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