Gold in Tanzania

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Geology

Geita is an Archaean mesothermal, mainly banded ironstone formation (BIF)-hosted, deposit. Mineralization is found on sheared BIF-diorite contacts and in the diorite as well. At Bulyanhulu mine, the geology consists of mafic volcanic flows overlain by a series of pyroclastics and ash tuffs. Argillite is present at the contact between the mafic and felsic rocks. The gold, silver and copper mineralization on the property occurs in mineralized “reefs” or quartz veins localize along steeply dipping northwest striking structures, generally localized in the argillite units. The North Mara mine is situated within the Mara Greenstone Belt, part of the larger Lake Victoria Greenstone belt. The underlying geology comprises felsic and mafic volcanics intercalated with sediments which are intruded by various granitoid and gabbroic plutonic rocks. Tertiary volcanic lava flows partially cover the underlying Archaean geology and the ore bodies are structurally controlled, shear-hosted lode gold deposits. The Tulawaka East gold deposit is hosted in a complex upper greenschist to amphibolite facies metamorphic terrain comprised of metasediments, including a minor component of metasilicate-iron formation and metagabbro dykes or sills. The local stratigraphy has been folded into a large-scale Z-shaped fold that plunges to the south. The anticline portion of the fold has been cut by a thrust fault sub-parallel to the south-dipping fold axial plane. Gold occurs principally as free gold within quartz veins or stockworks, often associated with felsic intrusives.

• AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) operates the Geita mine, 80 kilometres south-west of the town of Mwanza. It produced 613 000 oz of gold in 2005 and proved and probable ore reserves were then estimated to be 62,4 million t at a grade of 4,23 g/t Au or 264,3 t of gold.

• Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE:ABX; TSX:ABX) operates the Bulyanhulu mine, approximately 55 kilometers south of Lake Victoria and approximately 150 kilometers from the town of Mwanza. It produced 311 000 oz of gold in 2005 and proven and probable reserves were then estimated at 10,7 million oz of gold. Barrick also operates he North Mara mine, approximately 100 kilometers east of Lake Victoria and 20 kilometers south of the Kenyan border. It produced 250 000 oz of gold in 2005 from three open pits. The Tulawaka mine is a joint venture with Northern Mining Explorations Ltd or Minieres du Nord (MDN). The mine is located approximately 1,000 kilometers from Dar es Salaam and 120 kilometers west of Barrick’s Bulyanhulu mine. The mine started producing in 2005 and Barrick's share was 87 000 oz of gold. Tulawaka gold production reached a total of 178 618 oz in 2007, compared with 139 655 oz in 2006 - a 28% production increase. In 2007, a total of 176 508 oz of gold were sold, entirely in the spot market, at an average price of $709/oz compared with an average price of $606/oz in 2006. Total revenues in 2007 were $125,1-million compared with $88,7-million in 2006, which showed an increase of 41%. In 2006, Barrick completed a positive feasibility study for Buzwagi, along with 40 per cent of the project's detailed engineering plans. It conducted 200,000 meters of exploration drilling on the property, and identified further targets. Buzwagi has proven and probable reserves of 2,64 million ounces of gold and contains 118 million pounds of copper within the gold reserves; the estimated mine life is 10 years. Its close proximity to Barrick's Bulyanhulu and Tulawaka operations brings significant synergies, including shared infrastructure, personnel, training and equipment. Buzwagi's average annual production is expected to be 240,000-250,000 ounces of gold at total cash costs of $280-290 per ounce of gold. Capital costs are expected to be approximately $400 million (excluding capitalized interest). It expected Buzwagi gold mine to be in production in 2009.

• Northern Mining Explorations or Minieres du Nord (MDN) (Canadian, also active in Eritrea) has a 30% interest in the Tulawaka mine which produced 139,655 oz of gold in 2006, and is actively exploring the region surrounding the mine. Minieres du Nord (MDN), aside from its 30% interest in the Tulawaka mine, holds a controlling interest in 20 mineral licenses around Tulawaka, with four projects undergoing drilling programmes. The 102.9 km2 Viyonza Project, located 15 km north of the Tulawaka Gold Mine in Tanzania, was optioned from Tanzanian Royalty Exploration Corporation and drilling during 2007 intersected promising gold values.

• Resolute Mining Ltd (ASX:RSG) operates the Golden Pride mine, 750 km north-west of the port of Dar es Salaam and 200 km south of Lake Victoria. It produced 145 043 oz during the 2006 financial year and proven and probable ore reserves are 25,2 million t at a grade of 1,6 g/t Au or 1,264 million oz of gold. Resolute has outlined an additional indicated and inferred 19,4 million t at a grade of 1,7 g/t Au or 1,072 oz of gold at their Nyakafuru project.

• Meremeta Ltd (State) operates the Buhemba gold mine, near Musoma, planned to produce 80 000 oz of gold per year.

• Douglas Lake Minerals (Canadian, DLKM.OB) has acquired five prospecting concessions for properties in eastern Tanzania that cover an area of approximately 1,037.4 square kilometres. The Morogoro Property is located approximately 30 kilometres west of Morogoro. The property's northeast corner extends approximately 26 kilometres to the west and 6 kilometres to the south. The ASW Property (Prospecting License No. 3117/2005) is located 135 kilometres north of the city of Morogoro in east central Tanzania, and is directly adjacent to AngloGold Ashanti's main property. The Kilometre 7 Property (Prospecting License No. 3118/2005) is located 165 kilometres north of Morogoro and approximately 25 kilometres east of Anglo Gold Ashanti’s property. The Negero (Green Hills) Property (Prospecting License No. 2957/2005) is located approximately 150 kilometres north-northeast of Morogoro and covers approximately 20 kilometres of the structural zone to the east and 10 kilometres to the south. The property is located 75 kilometres east of Anglo Gold Ashanti’s property. The company has also signed agreements to acquire the Tabora Property (Prospecting License No. 2810/2004) and the Ashanti South East Property (Prospecting License No. 2683/2004). Early stage exploration is underway by the joint venture partner, Canaco Resources Inc (CAN.V; CANWF.PK)

• IAMGOLD Corporation's Buckreef project is an advanced exploration project located in the Lake Victoria Goldfields of northern Tanzania. During the first half of 2007, 26,000 metres of reverse circulation drilling was completed. This program validated the continuity of a new oxide zone with a strike length of more than 400 metres that lies outside of the known resource areas. This prospective new resource will be drilled as part of the second half $2.9 million, 8,500 metre exploration plan. The current program includes regional exploration testing 7 of 20 new targets and additional detailed metallurgical studies required for a prefeasibility study. The decision to formally undertake the prefeasibility will be made by the end of 2007.

• WCP Resources Ltd is involved in the exploration of prospecting licences that cover three Archaean gold prospects in Tanzania. These consist of Simba Sirori Gold Project located within the southern part of the Musoma greenstone belt and is located 10 kilometres south-southwest of the North Mara Mine (3.3 million oz gold) owned by Barrick Gold Corporation in northern Tanzania; the Magamba and Siga Hills projects, subject to JV with Barrick, located 15 kilometres south of the Nyanzaga property on which Barrick and Sub-Saharan have announced a 4.5 million oz resource; and the Bukoli Project, subject to JV with Iamgold, strategically located at the southeastern end of Iamgold's Buckreef project area (Inferred Resource of 1.93 million oz gold).
  
  

• Tanzanian Royalty Exploration Corporation (Canadian, Amex:TRE), by mid-2005, held 138 prospecting licenses in the Lake Victoria goldfields, a large number of which are subject to royalty agreements with Barrick Gold, Anglogold-Ashanti and Northern Mining Explorations. The Company's Itetemia property is adjacent to Barrick's 12 million ounce Bulyanhulu gold mine and remains a prime candidate for the discovery of an economic mineral deposit. It has concluded an option agreement for its Luhala and Itetemia Projects with a private United Kingdom based company, Sloane Developments Ltd. Another eleven projects are the subject of royalty agreements with Montreal-based Northern Mining Explorations or Minieres du Nord (MDN) whose Tulawaka gold project involves a joint venture with a subsidiary of Barrick.

• African Eagle Resources plc has defined a 520,000 ounce gold mineral resource to JORC standard, of which 71% is in the indicated category at the Miyabi gold project in the Lake Victoria Goldfield. African Eagle has begun pre-feasibility studies at Miyabi. On 3 May 2007 the company announced that had entered into a joint venture with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Randgold Resources on its 500 000 oz-plus Miyabi gold project. Under the initial option, Randgold Resources will carry out and fund an agreed phase 1 exploration programme by the end of May 2008.
  This programme will consist principally of a series of diamond drill hole fence lines to investigate the geology, structure and controls on mineralisation, across the width of the Miyabi corridor.
  Randgold Resources will then have the right to earn a 50% interest in the project by conducting and funding a prefeasibility study to agreed parameters.
  Following the prefeasibility study, African Eagle can retain a 49% stake in the project by cofunding a full feasibility study, or dilute to a 35% stake if Randgold Resources provides the funding in full.

• Oryx Mining and Exploration Ltd (former Placer Dome Ltd executives and senior geologists), a private company incorporated in Canada, holds land positions in Uganda and Tanzania. The company is also in discussions with potential joint venture partners in Guinea, Ghana and the DRC.

• Tanzania Gold plc is exploring the Mkurumu gold project in theTanga region.

• Helio Resource Corporation (Canadian, HELOF.PK, HRC.V) is exploring the Saza-Makongolosi area in the Lupa Goldfield in southern Tanzania. The block includes 4 old gold workings. The SMP Gold Project covers approximately 27km of the strike length of the Saza Shear Zone, the main gold-bearing structure in the Lupa Goldfields. Drilling in 2007 included two areas, the Kenge Target and the Kipanga Target.

• Kilimanjaro Mining Company Ltd is a Nevada based private company that has acquired over 40 gold licenses in the Lake Victoria Greenstone Belt area of Tanzania and 64 uranium licenses in central and southern Tanzania totaling close to 6 million acres.

• International Gold Mining Limited (TSX VENTURE:IGL) tenements in Northern Tanzania are located within the Tarime district of the Musoma - Mara region in the north - western part of Tanzania, some 100 kilometres east of Lake Victoria, and 20 kilometres south of the Kenyan border. The tenements acquired are located over prospective sequences within the 'Mara Greenstone Belt'. Under the terms of the Bahati Joint Venture Agreement, IGL will pay the Bahati Investment and Mining General Co. Ltd. USD$35,000 and 500,000 fully paid shares in the Company, escrowed for 12 months to earn 51% interest in the tenements. On the second anniversary IGL shall pay the vendor a further USD$45,000 to earn an extra 24% to take the Company's interest to 75%. On the third anniversary, IGL shall pay the vendor USD$50,000 to earn an extra 15% to take its interest in the tenements to 90%. The Company can at its sole discretion pay the vendor, USD$500,000 at any time during the joint venture period to gain control of 100% of the tenements.

• Shanta Gold Limited is conducting initial exploration on projects in the Mgusu, Simba Nguru, and Musoma districts in Tanzania. The company is also involved in four other early exploration stage projects in Tanzania. Results at the Singida project for 2007, indicate a total gold resource in excess of 543,000 oz, of which 330,000 oz have been classified as a measured resource and 127,000 oz as an indicated resource.

• Gulf Resources Limited (ASX: GLF) signed an option agreement in November, 2007, to review the potential of jointly undertaking, with a Tanzanian partner, scoping studies with the aim of developing and financing a gold project in central Tanzania. The project is located in the Handeni and Bagamoyo district in north east Tanzania and covers some 123 km2.