The Kiniéro Gold Project is located approximately 440 km east-northeast of Conakry, in the Republic of Guinea, and comprises an open-cut gold mine with a conventional CIL circuit. The mine previously operated from 2002 to 2014, after which it was placed on care and maintenance. In 2019, it was acquired by Sycamore Mining, which later merged with Robex in 2022.
Primero was selected for its proven track record and deep gold industry experience. Having successfully delivered the Abujar Gold Mine design for Tietto Minerals, key personnel who later joined Robex Resources re-engaged Primero to design the Kiniero Gold Project.
The Kiniéro Gold Project is a Greenfields plant designed to process up to 5.5 MTPA at 35% fresh ore or 6.0 MTPA at 18% fresh ore, with an expected gold production of 153,000 ounces per year.
SCOPE:
Primero undertook the engineering design of the processing plant within the following battery limits: ROM bins (fresh and oxide) and tails discharge spigots.
PROCESS BRIEF:
The flowsheet includes primary crushing, coarse ore stockpile and reclaim, a dedicated oxide crushing circuit, SABC comminution circuit, two parallel CIL trains, elution split AARL, electrowinning and smelting. Reagents include lime, caustic soda, cyanide, and hydrochloric acid. Water utilities cover fire water, raw water, process water, and potable water.
CHALLENGES:
- Legacy Issues: Robex’s new management team joined in July 2024 after construction had already commenced on a plant of significantly lower throughput for the optimal NPV. Primero had the task of developing a completely new design of a higher-capacity plant without significantly delaying the project. This included incorporating as much of the already purchased/constructed equipment and infrastructure as feasible, resulting in a number of unique outcomes, such as two parallel CIL trains.
- Tight schedule: As construction teams were already mobilised at the commencement of the project, scheduling of design deliverables needed to prioritise opening major work fronts.
HIGHLIGHTS:
The design was delivered on schedule and within budget, accounting for agreed contract variations. Deliverables were issued to meet tight and demanding construction timelines through careful planning. The project construction is nearly constructed with the majority of the plant under operation, with no design issues reported to date.