Sunday Express
Date: 23.02.2017
Page 16
Article size: 209 cm2
ColumnCM: 46.44
AVE: 53736.22
UK firm makes major
gold find in Western
Kenya
By Samson Wire
advanced project, the Liranda Corridor,"
UK­based Acacia Mining has announced
intersect high grade gold zones at the
Bushiangala and Acacia prospects along
the Liranda Corridor where drilling indi­
cates the potential for a new gold camp."
a "major" gold find at its mines in West­
ern Kenya. The firm has been prospecting
for gold in Kisumu and Siaya counties,
where it said it had struck gold. Chief
Executive Brad Gordon said the company
would give a detailed report on the gold
resources found in the region before the
end of this quarter.
"We continued to invest into our
exploration portfolio and are poised to
announce a maiden resource on the West
Kenya project, in which we strategically
increased our interest to 100 per cent '
in 2016," said Mr Gordon in a Tuesday
update to investors on the firm's perfor­
mance last year. Preliminary studies show
the area has up to one million ounces of
gold, with a grade of around 10 grammes
per tonne of gold. This is fairly high,
considering the highest gold in the world
has a grade of about 14 grammes per
tonnne of gold, which is from a South
African mine.
The firm, which has operations in neigh­
bouring Tanzania, Burkina Faso and Mali,
bought out its joint venture partner in the
Western Kenya mines in August last year
at a cost of Sh503 million. Lonmin held a
said Mr Gordon. "Acacia continues to
Acacia towards end of last year said it
had bumped up the money it is would be
spending in Kenya in the exploration and
production of Gold.
The firm plans to spend Shi.2 billion this
year as it works towards starting gold pro­
duction as well as intensify the search for
more resources in the region. "In 2017,
we have increased the budget for the proj­
ect to $12 million (Shi.2 billion), which
is primarily designed to scope out the size
of the existing shoots (lateral and depth
extensions), and to iiifill gaps between
holes in order to increase the scale and
confidence of the resource as we move
through the year," said Gordon.
"We also plan to test further potential
shoots within the Liranda Corridor along
strike to the east. Further to this, we will
undertake regional programmes across the
broader 1,600 square kilometre licence
area." The find by Acacia Mining comes
hot on the heels of another find in its
Goldplat's operation in Narok, where the
firm operates the Kilimapesa Gold Mine.
According to the company, Kilimapesa
49 per cent stake in two mining licences
in the area "Following the completion of
mine has a total resource of 8.72 million
the agreement, Acacia has full exposure
ounces of gold in the financial year to
to an exciting and highly prospective land
package in Kenya, including our most
June last year and expects to push up the
production to 6,800 ounces this year.
tonnes of gold. Goldplat produced 2,000
Ipsos Kenya ­ Acorn House,97 James Gichuru Road ­ Lavington ­ Nairobi ­ Kenya