الملتقى والمعرض الدولي لاقتصاديات المناجم والمحاجر بالوطن العربي

1-3 يناير 2008

جمهورية مصر العربية – القاهرة

الجلسة الثانية

الخامات الفلزية

2-Modern Gold Mining in Egypt

ج/ اسماعيل عبد الخالق – شركة الفرعونية للذهب

Concession agreement made between Pharaoh Gold Mine (PGM) and Egyptian Geological Survey & Mining Authority (EGSMA) to develop some gold prospect, among which Sukari gold mine have been investigated. Here is the description of the Sukari project.

  1. Introduction and historical background of Sukari gold mine

The Sukari deposit is known since ancient Egyptian times. It was extensively mined out from the surface during both Pharonic and Roman times. The gold bearing quartz vein was extracted from the surface to 60m down dip. The ancient are believed to have obtained about 250 tons of gold. Later on it was prospected and mined by a private try in 1908. From 1908 to 1915 a new stage of exploration started with mining work and production by El Sukari Gold Mine Company. However, after three years of activity the company succeeded to develop the gold-bearing quartz vein below the ancient workings. By the end of 1920, activity stopped completely at Sukari Gold Mine. From 1929 to 1932 a number of private companies had carried out some mining work but they were closed soon due to insufficient investments. The new stage of gold exploration started in the mine in 1932 and involved the re-examination of the ore by the Egyptian Mining Department. Four declined shafts and two ascending drifts were driven along the main lode. The mean lode have been connected by drift at about 30 m below the old working. As a result of this work, 12 tons of gold were estimated. The ore body was 130 m in length and 35 m in width down dip, with a gold content of 18.3 g/t and 3.17 g/t silver. The probable gold ore reserves of Sukari deposit were estimated to be 60 tons. In 1967, the deposit were re-examined again by the Geological Survey (Kochin et al.,1968). After a year the deposit was studied by others from EGSMA and Russian Geologists Research team. Investigation during the period 1977-1978 at Sukari revealed a prospective gold resource of 12 million tons at 2 g/t. collectively about 4768 kg of gold were extracted from the deposit.

                 Preliminary figures for gold resources at Sukari announced on 12 August 1998 by Australian company Centamin LTD showed that the contained gold in the southern 600 meters of the 2.5 km long deposit was about 60 tons in resources of 30 million tons grading 2.1 g/t gold. Present drilling and other work aims to upgrade the figures. The following set outs the routine of the drilling program and the estimations for gold mineral resources and ore reserved at Sukari.