PGDM (Pilar de Goiás Desenvolvimento Mineral), situated in Goiás state of Brazil, is the company’s flagship gold producing business. Acquired from Equinox Gold in April 2021, it consists of four mines both producing and in development stages – three underground and one open pit. The metallurgical plant can process up to 4,500 tonnes per day with a 96% extraction rate. The company is endowed with US$250 million worth of world class infrastructure.
It is currently producing approximately 45,000 oz Au/ year, with a plan to rapidly expand over the coming years through exploration and development.
The map below shows PGDM's four projects - Pilar, Maria Lázara, Caiamar and Três Buracos.
1. Pilar
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- Core producing area for Pilar Gold, in operation since 2013A
- Pilar mineralization is an orogenic gold system type, in metasedimentary rocks of Pilar Greenstone Belt.
- Mining in Pilar is concentrated in two mineralized zones:
- HG1: Fault and fill veins with hydrothermal halo in chlorite and graphite schists. Thickness between 0.8m and 1.5m. Mine Method: Room and Pilar and Modified Room and Pilar with Long-hole.
- HG2: Hydrothermal altered chlorite schists with quartz veining. Thickness between 0.5m and 30m, average of 10m. Mining Method: Blind sublevel.
- HG1 and HG2 mineralisations are set in a very continuous context, covering an area with a strike length of 3.3km, a width of 2.6km. Mineralization system is opened to SE and down-dip.
2. Maria Lázara
- MLZ mineralization is an orogenic gold system type, in metasedimentary rocks of Guarinos Greenstone Belt.
- Mineralization is in 3 stacked levels and hosted by silicified biotite-chlorite-sericite schists and with quartz veins concordant with the main foliation.
- MLZ ore has thickness ranging from 0.6m to 1.5m and inclinations between 30 to 45 degrees. Mine Method: Sublevel stoping
- As well as Pilar mineralization MLZ is very continuous with a strike length of 3.6 km x 900m width, delineated by drilling, and still opened to down dip.
- MLZ Southeast is the continuity of the MLZ mineralization, a prospect following 2.5 km along strike and 300m along dip. MLZSE is being tested to convert ounces from Inferred and Potential to Measured and Indicated. Potential for a connection to existing mining operations at MLZ.
Future developments include:
- MLZ Main: two main levels, expected to start producing by 2021E for at least 3 years (c. 550 kttotal production over LOM at an avg. grade of 1.60 g/t)
- MLZ South East: two main sectors, expected to start producing by 2023E for at least 7 years (c. 3.2 Mt total production over LOM at an avg. grade of 2.06 g/t)
- Mining panel consists of a main lower level and 2 sub-levels, accessed with 4.0m wide by 4.5m high drives
3. Caiamar
- Gold mineralization at Caiamar occurs in four parallel zones and in a set of small ore shoot-like structures related to a transpressional shear zone.
- Diamond drilling has outlined zones of steeply plunging gold mineralization within an area with a strike length of approximately 1.4 km, a vertical extent measuring 600m, and thicknesses ranging from one metre to 20m.
- Yamana feasability study from 2013 has identified 230 koz@ 3.3 g/t and reserves of 75 koz@ 3g/t Au
- Higher grade, open potential
- Caiamar rehabilitation commenced July 2021
4. Três Buracos
- Conventional open-pit mining method. Production is expected to start by 2023E
- Tres Buracos open-pit deposit comprises the Pilar HG2 mine structure outcropping
- Gold is mineralized over a strike length of approximately 1.7km, a width of 1.0km, and a thickness of between 25m and 60m
- Very similar metallurgical characteristics to: Pilar and Maria Lazara