After coming close in 2008, Ron Little is once again on the cusp of developing a gold mine in West Africa.
Mr. Little, the chief executive of Orezone Gold Corp., spent many years working on the Essakane project in Burkina Faso. And then, just as he was getting ready to move into construction, the financial crisis struck and he was forced to sell it to Iamgold Corp. at a disappointing price.
“It was disappointing when you’ve been there 15 years and you’re about to see the mine built, but it was the best course of action,” Mr. Little said.
He has quietly stayed very busy. Once Iamgold bought Essakane, a new Orezone was spun out that holds the company’s other exploration properties in Burkina Faso.
Things are now looking promising at its Bomboré property, where the company hopes to mine surface oxides. A pre-feasibility study is due early next year, and Orezone hopes to get to 1.5 million ounces of indicated resources and another 500,000 ounces of inferred resources from the surface oxides.
“This one will be a lot less complicated than Essakane, where we had to move a village,” Mr. Little said. “Putting a mine in there will be very well-received.”
The plan is to make a construction decision on both the Bomboré and Sega deposits next year, and spend about US$100-million to develop both.
Peter Koven