OREGEO-01649; No of Pages 8

Ore Geology Reviews xxx (2015) xxx–xxx

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Ore Geology Reviews

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The Syama and Tabakoroni goldfields, Mali

Ibrahima Ballo, Kim A.A. Hein ⁎, Boukary Guindo, Lassana Sanogo, Yalema Ouologuem,
Gaoussou Daou, Amadou Traore
Societe Des Mines de Syama (SOMISY SA) Rue 50, Porte 688, BP-E 1582 Bamako, Badalabougou, Mali

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: Gold deposits in the Syama and Tabakoroni goldfields in southern Mali occur along a north-northeast trending
Received 28 May 2015 mineralised litho-structural corridor that trends for approximately 40 km. The deposits are interpreted to have
Received in revised form 13 October 2015 formed during a craton-wide metallogenic event during the Eburnean orogeny. In the Syama goldfield, gold
Accepted 14 October 2015
mineralisation in 9 deposits is hosted in the hanging-wall of the Syama-Bananso Shear Zone in basalt, greywacke,
Available online xxxx
argillite, lamprophyre, and black shale. Gold is currently mined primarily from the oxidised-weathered zone
Keywords:
of the ore bodies. In the Syama deposit, mineralisation hosted in altered basalt is associated with an intense
West African craton ankerite–quartz–pyrite stockwork vein systems, whereas disseminated style mineralisation is also present in
Birimian greywackes. In contrast, the Tellem deposit is hosted in quartz–porphyry rocks.
Syama In the Tabakoroni goldfield, gold mineralisation is hosted in quartz veins in tertiary splay shears of the Syama-
Tabakoroni Bananso Shear Zone. The Tabakoroni orebody is associated with quartz, carbonate and graphite (stylolite)
Orogenic gold veins, with pyrite and lesser amounts of arsenopyrite. There are four main styles of gold mineralisation including
silica-sulphide lodes in carbonaceous fault zones, stylolitic quartz reefs in fault zones, quartz–Fe–carbonate–
sulphide lodes in mafic volcanics, and quartz–sulphide stockwork veins in silicified sediments and porphyry
dykes. The several deposit styles in the goldfield thus present a number of potential exploration targets spatially
associated with the regional Syama-Bananso Shear Zone and generally classified as orogenic shear-hosted gold
deposits.
© 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction depth. The total mineral resource reported for the Syama goldfield
is 38.27 Mt including 13.28 Mt at 2.89 g/t Au for the Syama main
The Syama goldfield in southeastern Mali (Fig. 1) includes the Syama open deposit for 1237 contained koz Au, 10.69 Mt at 2.34 g/t Au
gold mine and several associated satellite gold deposits including the for the satellite deposits for 805 contained koz Au, and 14.3 Mt at
Syama extension, Alpha, BA01, Tellem, Basso, Quartz Vein Hill, Chert 2.4 g/t Au for the Syama underground deposits for 1103 contained
Ridge and A21 deposits (Fig. 2; Table 1). The Tabakoroni goldfield is koz Au (Resolute Mining Ltd, 2014; Table 1).
the southern extension of the main Syama litho-structural corridor Gold mineralisation is hosted in the hanging-wall of the Syama-
(Figs. 1, 3). The goldfields are situated approximately 280 km southeast Bananaso Shear Zone (Figs. 1, 2a, 2b) in tholeiitic basalt (plagioclase
of Bamako and 70 km south-southwest the regional capital of Sikasso. pyroxene), lithic (grey)wacke, argillite, lamprophyre and black shale.
They are hosted in a north-northeast trending, steeply west-dipping Ankerite, quartz, sulphide and albite veinlets are associated with gold
Bagoe volcano-sedimentary belt (after Kušnir, 1999), which is the mineralisation, and zones of massive fine-grained silica and pyrite cor-
northwestern extension of the Bondiali-Diaoula belt in Cote d'Ivoire relate with higher gold grade zones.
(Bessoles, 1977). The Bagoe belt is crosscut by the Syama-Bananaso In comparison, the Tabakoroni goldfield is part of the Finkolo Exploi-
Shear Zone in the Syama and Tabakorni goldfields, and marks the re- tation Permit, located in the district of Kadiolo, immediately adjacent to
gional boundary between the Kadiana-Madinani terrane to the west the international border of Mali with Cote d'Ivoire, approximately
and the Kadiolo terrane to the east (Fig. 1). 40 km west of Kadiolo and 15 km south of Fourou (Table 2). The total
In the Syama goldfield, gold is primarily mined from the oxidised- mineral resource reported by Resolute Mining Limited (December
weathered zone, but hard rock sulphide mineralisation occurs at 2013) for the Tabakoroni goldfield is 9.96 Mt @ 2.59 g/t Au for 830
contained koz Au (Table 2). Gold mineralisation is hosted Tabakoroni
shear zone which is a tertiary play shear off the Syama-Bananaso
Shear Zone. Gold mineralisation occurs in quartz veins and intense silica
⁎ Corresponding author at: School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand,
Johannesburg, South Africa.
alteration, with varying amounts of pyrite, carbonate and sericite.
E-mail addresses: ibrahimab@somisy.com (I. Ballo), kim.ncube-hein@wits.ac.za Mineralised quartz veins range from a few centimetres to metres in
(K.A.A. Hein). width.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2015.10.019
0169-1368/© 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Please cite this article as: Ballo, I., et al., The Syama and Tabakoroni goldfields, Mali, Ore Geol. Rev. (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/
j.oregeorev.2015.10.019
2 I. Ballo et al. / Ore Geology Reviews xxx (2015) xxx–xxx

Fig. 1. Location map for the Syama and Tabaorni goldfeilds in southeastern Mali. The goldfields are hosted in a north-northeast trending, steeply west-dipping greenstone belt (Bagoe belt)
that marks a regional boundary between the Kadiana-Madinani terrane to the west and the Kadiolo terrane to the east. The Bagoe Belt consists of sedimentary schists and metamorphosed
greywackes, with subordinate basalt and intermediate volcanics and chert interflow sediments.

2. Exploration history (UNDP) and the Direction Nationale de la Geologie et des Mines
(DNGM). By 1986, the United Nations reported an oxide resource of
Gold mining in Mali has a long history with a peak in the 14th century 1.5 Mt @ 1.67 g/t calculated from exploration pits (Kušnir et al., 1986).
when Emperor Kanku Moussa transported 8 t of gold on his pilgrimage to Subsequently, BHP Minerals International defined several targets
Mecca. Additionally, gold has been exploited in ancient Mali since the 5th in the Syama permit and concluded that the Syama belt was under-
century by artisanal miners. In the Syama region, the BRGM (Bureau de explored both within the exploitation leases and at the regional scale.
Recherche et Geologie Miniere) and SONAREM (Societe Nationale de In 1996, Randgold Resources Ltd. acquired all BHP's properties in
Recherche Miniere) undertook region geological studies along the Mali and took over management responsibilities of Syama. In 1997, a
Bagoe river from 1960 to 1974 (Olson et al., 1992), which was followed RAB drill programme was conducted north of Alpha pit and confirmed
by a regional sampling programme (1000 m × 200 m grid) over the extension of mineralisation. In 1998, a successful study of the
25,000 km2 initiated by the United Nations Development Programme oxide potential north of Syama delineated 12 targets, and an RC drill

Please cite this article as: Ballo, I., et al., The Syama and Tabakoroni goldfields, Mali, Ore Geol. Rev. (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/
j.oregeorev.2015.10.019
 I. Ballo et al. / Ore Geology Reviews xxx (2015) xxx–xxx 3

Fig. 2. Regional geology of the Syama goldfields showing the location of the Syama extension, Alpha, BA01, Tellem, Basso, Quartz Vein Hill, Chert Ridge and A21 deposits. The gold deposits
are variously hosted at the contact of metasedimentary rocks and basaltic units.

Please cite this article as: Ballo, I., et al., The Syama and Tabakoroni goldfields, Mali, Ore Geol. Rev. (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/
j.oregeorev.2015.10.019
4 I. Ballo et al. / Ore Geology Reviews xxx (2015) xxx–xxx

Table 1
Summary table for gold deposits in the Syama goldfield including general location, deposit status and type and resource information.

Deposit name Syama goldfield includes the Syama mine and the Syama extension, Alpha, BA01, Tellem, Basso, Quartz Vein Hill, Chert Ridge, A21 deposits

Commodity of Gold
exploitation
Longitude −6.0703
Latitude 10.7917
Geographic location District of Fourou, Kadiolo area, in the region of Sikasso.
Geological location West African craton; Leo-Man shield; southeastern Mali; between the Kadiana-Madinani terrane to the west and the Kadiolo terrane.
Deposit status The Syama gold mine was owned and operated by BHP Utah in 1990–1996), Randgold Resources in1996–2001 and Resolute Mining Ltd. from late
2008. The goldfield is currently owned and operated by the Societe Des Mines de Syama (SOMISY SA) Mali, which is a joint venture partnership
between Resolute Mining Limited and the Malian government.
Deposit type Gold in breccia, intense ankerite-quartz-pyrite stockwork, and sheeted veinlet sets in altered basaltic host rocks with zones of disseminated pyrite
and weak stockworks in greywacke.
Economic value The total mineral resource reported for the Syama goldfield is 38.27 Mt. including 13.28 Mt at 2.89 g/t Au for the Syama main open deposit for 1237
Grade Tonnages contained koz Au, 10.69 Mt at 2.34 g/t Au for the satellite deposits for 805 contained koz Au, and 14.3 Mt at 2.4 g/t Au for the Syama underground
Past production deposits for 1103 contained koz Au (Resolute Mining Ltd., December 2014).

programme was completed at A21, BA01 and north of Syama mine in up of (Tarkwa-like) polymictic conglomerate and sandstone that are
April 1999. This programme returned a geological resource of sourced from the Kadiana-Madinani terrain and were deposited in a
52,000 oz. at A21 and 24,000 at BA01. late to syn-tectonic basin (Standing, 2007).
Resolute Mining Limited acquired the Syama project in April 2004 Gold mineralisation at Syama and Tabakoroni is similar to many
after completing a positive 12-month pre-feasibility study in joint- other Palaeoproterozoic gold deposits in the Baoulé-Mossi domain of
venture with Randgold Resources from April 2003. In 2005, Resolute the West African Craton and formed during a craton wide gold
Mining Limited acquired an 80% interest in the project through its equity metallogenic event late in the Eburnean Orogeny (Lawrence et al.,
in Societe des Mines de Syama (SOMISY S.A.). The Malian Government 2013; Treloar et al., 2014; Masurel et al., submitted for publication;
holds a 20% interest in SOMISY. After a long process of construction, Feybesse et al., 2006; Markwitz et al., in press). The deposits are similar
processing of ore commenced in August 2008. to other deposits hosted by mafic volcanic rocks such as the Yaoure gold
With regard to Tabakoroni on the Finkolo exploration permit, the deposit in Cote d'Ivoire in terms of tectonic setting, wall-rock alteration,
permit was granted to Bagoe International Corporation in July 2001. form of mineralisation, and associated structures (Rossi et al., 2014). Ar–
An agreement was signed with Etruscan Resources Inc. in June 2002 Ar dating of sericite, fuchsite and plagioclase indicated that hydrother-
allowing Etruscan to explore the tenement. In July 2004, following the mal activity at Syama took place at 2100 ± 40 Ma (Hanssen et al., 1997).
decree No 04 1407/MMEE-SG, the permit was transferred to Etruscan
Resources Mali SARL with 50% of its area; the permit was granted for a 4. Local geology
period of 30 years for the exploitation of Group II minerals. In August
2013, the permit was transferred to Société des Mines de Finkolo SA The stratigraphy of the Syama gold mine was originally defined by
(SOMIFI SA) under Decree transfer No 2013-667/PM-RM, which is a Randgold Resources Ltd. (Harbidge, 2001) and updated as mining
Joint Venture partnership between Resolute Mining Limited and continued, and new drilling data and mapping became available. The
Government of Mali. Resolute Mining Limited is the current owner geology and structure of the Syama mine is described and discussed
and continues with active exploration. by Olsen et al. (1992) and summarised herein. The metamorphic
grade for the Syama goldfield is defined by the mineral assemblage
3. Regional geology chlorite, epidote, calcite, quartz ± actinolite ± biotite which cor-
responds with low to upper greenschist facies metamorphism; while
The Syama and Tabakoroni goldfields are situated in the Baoulé-Mossi at Tabakoroni the metamorphic grade is defined by the chlorite, epidote,
domain of the West African craton in the southwest of Mali. Kušnir calcite, quartz which is lower greenschist facies. Tourmaline and acces-
(1999) recognised four belts of Birimian rocks in southern Mali; the east- sory biotite occurs locally in hornfels around intrusions.
ernmost he termed the Bagoe Belt which hosts the Syama and Tabakoroni The region presents three stratigraphic sequences from west to east,
goldfields. Bentley et al. (2000) described the Bagoe Belt in terms of two namely,
terranes: the Kadiana-Madinani Terrane in the west and Kadiolo Terrane
in the east (Fig. 1). The Bagoe Belt consists of sedimentary schists and • The Sikoro Formation (Kadiana-Madinani terrain), with basalt with
metamorphosed greywackes, with subordinate basalt and intermediate interbedded greywacke, argillite siltstone, chert and graphitic shales.
volcanics and chert interflow sedimentary rocks. The formation dips steeply to the west and not mineralised at Syama.
The Syama goldfield straddles the boundary between the Kadiana– It separates into two segments north of Syama. However, to the south
Madinani terrain and the Kadiolo terrain (Fig. 1); the boundary is of Bia Chert hills near the Tabakoroni gold deposit, the formation is
defined by the north-northeast trending Syama-Bananso Shear Zone overlain by younger cover sequences.
(Girard et al., 1998; Standing, 2005). Geophysical data shows that the • The Syama Formation (Kadiana-Madinani terrain) hosts the Syama gold
shear zone is 64 km long and 4 km wide from combined magnetic and mine and is composed of rocks type similar to the Sikoro Formation. The
gravity data, and has a clearly defined western branch that trends north- Syama Formation is mineralised in the hangingwall of the Syama-
erly (Yossi, 2015). The Syama-Bananso Shear Zone is described by Bananso Shear Zone and is crosscut by lamprophyre, feldspar porphyry
Milési et al. (1989), Girard et al. (1998), SIGAFRIQUE (2000) and and quartz feldspar porphyry dykes. Standing (2007) reported that the
Randgold (2008) as a sinistral strike-slip shear along its main branch; geochemistry of samples of lamprophyres was higher in Cr content rel-
the western branch corresponds to a fault or minor splay (Yossi, 2015). ative to basalt, with high Mg and LREE, and lower Fe; they are notably
The Kadiana-Madinani terrain is dominated by lithic greywackes of altered to sericite–ankerite–fuchsite. The feldspar porphyry and quartz
the Sikoro Formation and a narrow belt of interbedded tholeiitic basalt feldspar porphyry dykes are typically 2 to 10 m wide, and strongly albit-
and argillite locally known as the Syama Formation. The sequence is ic with fuchsite altered ferro-magnesium phenocrysts.
intruded by a series of dykes of andesitic/dioritic composition, or • The Ngolopene Group Formation (Kadiolo terrain) in the eastern foot-
lamprophyres (Mason, 2007). In contrast, the Kadiolo terrain is made wall is essentially dominated by the polymictic conglomerate and is

Please cite this article as: Ballo, I., et al., The Syama and Tabakoroni goldfields, Mali, Ore Geol. Rev. (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/
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 I. Ballo et al. / Ore Geology Reviews xxx (2015) xxx–xxx 5

Fig. 3. Regional geology of the Tabakoroni goldfield in the southeast of Mali. The Tabakoroni deposit trends north-northwest and is hosted at the sheared contact between basalt and
shale units.

not mineralised (Olsen et al., 1992). It comprises clasts from the Syama oxidation. Intense silicification and a series of quartz stockwork
Formation with inclusion of arkose, sandstone, siltstone and rare mafic veins are observed parallel to foliation, together with sulphide
volcanics clasts. mineralisation.
• Two styles of gold mineralisation occur at the Chert Ridge open pit
(330 × 50 m). Style 1 is related to narrow shallow-dipping quartz
The host lithologies of the satellite deposits include: veins that trend N200-N220, while the second style forms breccias
veins at the contacts between basalt/lamprophyre and lamprophyre/
• Gold mineralisation in the A21 deposit (1900 × 90 m) is associated sedimentary rocks that trend southwest. In general, north and north-
with quartz veining and a thrust contact between greywacke and east trending thrust faults bound type 2 gold mineralisation.
basalt. The mineralized zones narrow at depth. • At the BA01 deposit (750 × 80 m), gold mineralisation is located in ba-
• Gold mineralisation in the Quartz Vein Hill deposit (500 × 90 m); salts above the hanging-wall thrust, adjacent to the contact between
is associated with shallow-dipping quartz veins located in two sedimentary rocks and basalt. It is also distributed between the footwall
zones. The mineralisation does not extend to depth, but is generally thrust and the hanging-wall thrust, and adjacent to the contact between
concentrated in the upper 25 m of the profile and above the base of sedimentary rocks and basalt, or within the basalts.

Please cite this article as: Ballo, I., et al., The Syama and Tabakoroni goldfields, Mali, Ore Geol. Rev. (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/
j.oregeorev.2015.10.019
6 I. Ballo et al. / Ore Geology Reviews xxx (2015) xxx–xxx

Table 2 • Gold mineralisation at the Alpha mine (400 × 80 m) is host in altered

Summary table for the Tabakoroni gold deposits in the Tabakoroni goldfield including basalt and lamprophyre adjacent to a conglomerate contact.
general location, deposit status and type and resource information.
• Gold mineralisation at the Basso mine (700 × 100 m) is developed
Deposit name Tabakoroni gold deposit in the western contact between sedimentary rocks and basalt, and
Commodity of Gold hangingwall and footwall basalt and sedimentary rocks.
exploitation • Gold mineralisation at the Tellem deposit (4200 × 50 m) is associated
Longitude −6.164 with a north–south trending feldspar porphyry dyke at the contact
Latitude 10.520
with sedimentary rocks.
Geographic District of Kadiolo, in the region of Sikasso. Immediately
location adjacent to the Cote d'Ivoire border, approximately 40 km
west of Kadiolo and 15 km south of Fourou
Geological location West African craton; Leo-Man shield; southeastern Mali;
between the Kadiana-Madinani terrane to the west and the 5. Structural geology
Kadiolo terrane.
Deposit status The Tabakoroni gold mine was owned by Resolute Mining
LTD and Etruscan Ressources until 2012, but currently owned The Syama gold mine is hosted in a 500 m to 2000 m thick isoclinal
by Societe des Mine de Finkolo (SOMIFI SA) Mali, which is a fold that trends north-northeasterly and dips 60–70° west. The Syama
joint venture partnership between Resolute Mining Limited ore body is open down plunge to the northeast: a diamond drilling pro-
and the Malian government. Mining is currently scheduled to
gramme intersected sulphide mineralisation at depths of more than
start in 2016.
Deposit type Shear hosted orogenic deposits 500 m below the surface. Hangingwall and footwall thrusts bound
Economic Value Total reported mineral resource for the Tabakoroni goldfield the main ore zone with vertical linking structures joining the two
is 9.96Mt @ 2.59 g/t Au for 830 koz Au (Resolute Mining Ltd., thrusts (Olsen et al., 1992; McCuaig, 2005). Also north-northwest
December 2013). trending subvertical structures in the footwall of the main ore
zone and late faults influence the geometry of the orebody. Ore
shoots are controlled by the influence of isoclinal folding of a prefer-
• Gold mineralisation at the Syama extension (500 × 60 m) occurs at the ential lithology, late faulting and possible duplexing within the
contact between volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks and basalt. The min- orebody by vertical link faults (Standing, 2007).
eralized zone forms a sigmoidal jog and trends N010° (sub-vertical The structural architecture of the Tabakoroni deposit is described in
dip in the south), to N030° where the dip of the deposit flattens and it several company reports by Standing (2005, 2006). In summary, the
thickens, to N010° in the north. deposit that is hosted in the Tabakoroni Shear Zone is developed in

Fig. 4. A. Photograph of intense silicification zone with grey to black silica and ankerite alteration. B. Photograph of the red eyes basalt in diamond drill core. C. Photograph of typical Syama
ore with grade higher than 3 g/t Au.

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carbonaceous shale and siltstone at the margin of the Syama Formation 8. Alteration
(Standing, 2006). The shear zone is estimated to be 2 km long and
5-25 m wide with complex intrafolial folds within the shear zone and In the Syama mine there are wide zones of carbonate alteration with
a penetrative shear cleavage. Displacement is dextral strike-slip with the mineral assemblage of ankerite ± sericite ± chlorite ± albite.
later sinistral reactivation. In the shear zone gold mineralisation is In general the rocks are moderately bleached. In highly mineralized
developed as a pyritic and carbonaceous fault gouge, with quartz– zones, albite increases in quality and is often salmon pink in colour
carbonate stockwork veins and pyrite disseminations developed in the due to the addition of fine grained ankerite. Silicification is often intense
wall rocks. Quartz lodes are developed along the length of the shear in narrow zones adjacent to the ore bodies. These zones consist of grey
zone with narrow breccia and intense Fe carbonate–arsenopyrite– to black silica. They are barren and often enclosed by breccia and anker-
pyrite replacement assemblage of wall rocks. Additionally, megascopic ite alteration (Fig. 4a). At depth, basalt sequences are haematised. These
isoclinal folds were recognised by Standing (2005) with moderate fold rocks are known as red eyes basalt and are not associated with gold
plunges to the north-northeast and a northeast trending moderately mineralisation (Fig. 4b). In the satellite pits, alteration is restricted to
west dipping foliation. narrow enveloping zones of ankerite-sericite.
At Tabakoroni several different metamorphic and hydrothermal al-
6. Mineralisation styles teration styles are developed in the country and host rocks. Most are un-
related to gold mineralisation, or have had some role in preparing the
The Syama gold deposit is hosted in the hangingwall of the Syama- rocks both chemically and physically for the auriferous fluids that ar-
Bananso Shear Zone. Ankerite–quartz–sulphide veinlets with selvages rived late in the evolution of the deposit. They include epidote–plagio-
of fine-grained sulphide (pyrite) are the primary minerals associated clase–quartz–carbonate alteration forming wall rock selvedges in
with gold (Olsen et al., 1992). The presence of albite veinlets is a good dolerite and pillowed lavas. Chlorite–calcite alteration occurs through-
indicator for gold mineralisation and zones of massive fine-grained out the mafic sequences. Sericite–quartz–carbonate–pyrite alteration
silica and pyrite correlate with higher gold grades. Visible gold is rare overprints biotite ± magnetite alteration in feldspar porphyry intru-
at Syama. sions. In general, the Syama formation is strongly silicified. Fe–carbon-
In contrast, gold mineralisation at Tabakoroni is hosted within the ate–quartz–leucoxene–arsenopyrite–pyrite alteration is also present
Tabakoroni Main Shear Zone, which is a splay shear off the Syama- and associated with quartz lodes hosted in the Tabakoroni shear zone.
Bananso Shear Zone. Gold mineralisation is best developed in breccia
zones and zones of strong quartz, carbonate and graphite veining and si-
9. Discussion and conclusions
licification/carbonate alteration, with pyrite and lesser arsenopyrite as
the dominant sulphides. However, the nature of gold mineralisation at
The Syama gold deposit and associated satellite pits and the
Tabakoroni is strongly influenced by the chemistry and rheology of
Tabakoroni orebody are typical Palaeoproterozoic orogenic gold de-
the host rock, and there are four main styles of gold mineralisation,
posits that formed during the 2.1 Ga Eburnean orogeny (Béziat et al.,
namely, (1) silica-sulphide lode in carbonaceous fault zones, (2) stylolitic
2008; Feybesse et al., 2006) along or proximal to shear zones in meta-
quartz reef in fault zones, (3) quartz–Fe–carbonate–sulphide lodes in
morphosed volcanic and sedimentary units of the Birimian Supergroup
mafic volcanics, and (4) quartz–sulphide stockworks in silicified sedi-
sequences (Milési et al., 1991, Tshibubudze et al., 2015) including those
mentary rocks and porphyry dykes.
at Obuasi (Fougerouse et al., in this volume), Essakane (Tshibubudze
and Hein, in this volume), Gounkoto (Lambert-Smith et al., in this vol-
7. Ore body characteristics
ume) and others. With its associated satellite deposits, the Syama gold
deposit is hosted in an overturned and structurally layered sequence
The Syama orebody is characterised by a variety of breccias. Gold
of basalt, greywacke-argillite-black shales, and a lamprophyre intrusion,
mineralisation is associated with an intense ankerite–quartz–pyrite
and hosts in veins in the Syama-Bananso shear zone. The Tellem deposit
stockwork and is hosted in altered basalt, with zones of disseminated
is hosted in quartz-veins in a feldspar porphyry dyke.
pyrite and stockwork veins in greywacke. The orebody dips steeply
Gold mineralisation at Syama is characterised by a dolomite ± an-
west within the Syama-Bananso Shear Zone, but is occasionally
kerite/silica/pyrite and native gold. Alteration in the mine sequence is
overturned to the east.
asymmetrically zoned from the main lamprophyre intrusive complex
A wide variety of geophysical data was collected from airborne to
in the northern sector of the open pit out toward the hanging-wall.
ground surveys. Airborne magnetic, electromagnetic (EM) and radio-
Gold grades are generally found to be highest in areas where pyrite oc-
metric surveys have been completed with success. The VTEM seem to
curs as blebs in the host rocks or within strongly dolomite veined inter-
be the best EM method, resolving well the shear zone and the contact
vals, or where fine disseminated pyrite occurs within the immediate
between the Syama and Ngolopene Group formations with conductivity
vein selvedge.
contours. In terms of ground surveys, induced polarisation (IP) was the
The Syama ore body is open down plunge to the northeast: a dia-
main method used to aid in delineation of local anomalies. A number of
mond drilling programme intersected sulphide mineralisation at depths
ground IP surveys were completed with gradient and pole-dipole arrays.
of more than 500 m below the surface.
Due to the conductivity highs of the central part of the shear, only pole-
The Tabakoroni orebody is a 2 km long and 5–25 m wide gold depos-
dipole arrays were adequate to provide a significant chargeability setting
it contained in the Tabakoroni Main Shear Zone (a tertiary splay of the
with IP.
Syama-Bananso Shear Zone) and hosted in basalt, andesitic dykes,
Geophysically, the Syama ore body is non-magnetic, with moderate
greywacke, siltstone, chert and graphitic argillite. Gold mineralisation
chargeability (7 mV/V to17 mV/V) and resistivity (200 Ωm to 850 Ωm)
is best developed in breccia zones and zones of strong quartz, carbonate
values at the contact between mafic units and sediments in the
and graphitic veins. The orebody is dominated by quartz–carbonate al-
hangingwall of an isoclinal fold. The Syama deposits are very rich in po-
teration, with pyrite and lesser arsenopyrite as the dominant sulphides.
tassium, but poor in thorium and uranium.
The Tabakoroni orebody is associated with quartz, carbonate and
graphite (stylolites) veins, with pyrite and lesser arsenopyrite. The Acknowledgements
Tabakoroni ore body is physically non-magnetic with strong chargeability
due to the present of sulphites, and strong conductivity because of graph- We thank Resolute Mining Limited SOMISY SA Exploration for its
ite. Poor in thorium and uranium, the Tabakoroni deposits are very rich in availability to provide the data and permission to publish. The manuscript
potassium. was greatly improved by two anonymous reviewers.

Please cite this article as: Ballo, I., et al., The Syama and Tabakoroni goldfields, Mali, Ore Geol. Rev. (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/
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Please cite this article as: Ballo, I., et al., The Syama and Tabakoroni goldfields, Mali, Ore Geol. Rev. (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/
j.oregeorev.2015.10.019