President of the Guyana Goldfields mining exploration company Dr Claude Lemasson making his power point presentation during the Mining Week conference.

The Aurora discovery was made in 2004 and expanded through drilling over the past five years by Guyana Goldfields.

The Canadian-based mining exploration company has been established in Guyana since 1996 and is seeking to develop and operate the Aurora gold mines, optimistic that the location will be a new mining district.

President of the company Dr Claude Lemasson, while making a power point presentation of the new project at the eighth National Mining and Quarrying Conference at the Pegasus Hotel, said the company is proud of its relations with the Government and the community and in the next few months will be engaging in discussions on the mineral agreement for the project.

“We are certainly very happy to be able to work with the Guyanese government; Prime Minister Samuel Hinds has been very supportive,” Dr Lemasson said.

A preliminary environmental assessment has already been submitted by the company to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which outlines high level plans for the development of the mine.

The company’s camp is located at Aurora along the Cuyuni River in Region Seven. North East of the company’s main site is the Aranka property where geologists are at presently undertaking a CDN$2M project that involves sediment sampling trenching, and drilling.

South East of the company’s main site is Peter’s Mine where testing of tailing and other contents has proven the potential for economic resources that will allow the company to pursue operations.

The project site is sub-divided into three locations; Mad Kiss, Aleck Hill and Rory’s Knoll. The latter is the considered the core of the project site and is where the bulk of the mineralised contents are, pyrite (a common mineral, found in a wide variety of geological formulation from sedimentary deposits) and gold.

The road heading in the westerly direction from Buck Hall, along the Essequibo River, is the main infrastructure which the company will be depending on for ingress and egress. The road is one used by several miners and the Barama logging company. Dr Lemasson noted that there is need for an extension of the road by approximately 40 kilometres.

At present Guyana Goldfields uses a temporary airstrip to enter and exit the area but intends to build a permanent airstrip 1200 metres long.

The company also intends to make use of some 25 hectares of land at Buck Hall, to build a wharf to facilitate ocean going vessels.

Following will be a full feasibility study which will begin early next year.

With a total of six drill sites, the company is at present still undertaking a strategic drilling plan which is about 50 percent complete.

Guyana Goldfields’ operations are similar to those undertaken by Omai Gold Mines Limited (OGML) and IAM Gold with the exception of an underground component for the type of project it is in the process of developing. (GINA)