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Azegour (Mo, Cu, W)

About Azegour

The Azegour historical mine is located at an altitude of 1,525 meters on the northern side of the Western High Atlas mountains, 80 kilometers SSW of Marrakech, Morocco. The mine, which was operated periodically between 1931 and 1947, was a significant producer of base metals.

Highlights

  • Ownership: 100%
  • Mining and exploration permits for total land holdings of 129 km²
  • Grant of two new exploration permits in 2021 hosting historical copper, lead, and zinc occurrences
  • Historical mine and producer of base metals (1926-1956)
    • 1,331t of MoS2
    • 5,646t of chalcopyrite – CuFeS2
    • 27t of scheelite – CaWO4
    • 1.55t of U3O8

     

 

Historical Profile

The site was most intensively mined between 1931 and 1947 when approximately 500,000 tonnes of ore were processed. The cut-and-fill method used at the mine yielded an average of 2,270 tonnes of ore per vertical meter over 200 meters of elevation. A 2006 historical resource estimate for molybdenum, copper, and uranium produced the values cited below:

 

Mineral Tonnage (t)* Mined (t) Grade (wt.%) Historical Resources (t)* Grade (wt.%)
Molybdenite 1,500,000 500,000 0.35-0.40 (Mo) 1,000,000 0.35-0.40 (Mo)
Chalcopyrite 1,200,000 800,000 3.00 (Cu) 400,000 3.00 (Cu)
Scheelite 329,000-500,000 50,000 0.35(WO3) 270,000 – 450,000 0.35(WO3)
Uraninite — 120 1.00 (U3O8) — —

 

* The estimates presented above are treated as historical information and have not been verified or relied upon for economic evaluation by the Issuer. These historical mineral resources do not refer to any category of the NI-43-101 Instrument. The explanation lies in the inability by the author to verify the data. The Issuer has not done sufficient work yet to classify the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. Therefore, the Issuer is in the opinion that the above quoted resources for the Azegour deposit cannot be relied upon.

Location

The Azegour mine is located in the Occidental range of the High Atlas mountains, 80 kilometers south-southwest of Marrakech. The project lies 12 kilometers south of our Amizmiz property.

Access

From Marrakech, a paved highway runs across the Haouz Plain to the town of Amizmiz from where a narrow paved road branches westward for eight kilometers to an intersection near the village of Azegour. The old mine entrance is located on a dirt road 400 meters north of the intersection (Figure 1).

Surface area

The property consists of a mining permit and exploration permits covering a total surface area of 129km².

Geology

Azegour is a skarn deposit formed by the emplacement of the Hercynian Azegour monzogranitic intrusion (273±2 Ma) into Lower Cambrian folded volcanic and sedimentary rocks (limestones and schists). Molybdenite (Mo), chalcopyrite (Cu) and  scheelite (W) mineralization is located within the metamorphic aureole of the monzogranite and impregnated in calc-silicate rocks (Figure 2). The intrusion presents two major facies:

  • a fine-grained granite located on the border of the intrusion or included as blocs in the second facies and
  • a dominant facies composed of a coarse-grained homogeneous monzogranite.

The metamorphic rocks of the Azegour granite intrusion have created numerous gold, molybdenum, tungsten, and copper mineral deposits of interest within its contact aureole, more specifically in its calcareous layers. To date, the most interesting deposits have been discovered in the central and western layers. The old Azegour Mine, which is believed be a typical copper-molybdenum skarn deposit, was developed in the central layer at the most southern location (see Figure 2).

Mineralization

Molybdenite, scheelite, chalcopyrite and accessory mineralization containing uranium, nickel and cobalt are all located within the metamorphic aureole surrounding the Azegour intrusion. The Mo-W-Cu mineralization is impregnated in calc-silicate rocks formed by grenatites and pyroxenites and presents itself as irregular pods extending in a N-S direction.

Molybdenite is associated with grossular-bearing hornfels (Figure 3); scheelite is present in phaneritic andradite-bearing grenatite (Figure 4); and chalcopyrite is found in pyroxene hornfelses (Figure 5).

History

2021

Grant of two exploration permits (+29km²) hosting historical copper, lead and zinc occurrences that are located directly adjacent to the Azegour granite intrusion.

2019

Maya Gold & Silver Set to Start Exploration and Development of its Azegour Mine.
The planned work involves computerization, surface exploration, underground exploration at already accessible levels, surveying, a geophysical survey, surface diamond drilling, underground percussion drilling, and metallurgical testing with sampling of historical tailings and rock piles.

2011

Maya Gold & Silver acquires a 100% interest in the Azegour Mine and its related mining permit from Ouiselsat Mines S.A.

2003 – 2008

Mine exploration by Ouiselat Mines S.A. for W and Cu, underground and surface work at the Tizgui and Iszarifan sites, underground channel sampling, assays of 0.25, 0.27 and 0.57 wt. % MoS₂ obtained and three drill holes totaling 131m.

1984 – 1990s

Mapping and rock sampling of the Azegour area by a Japanese mining consortium on behalf of the MEM

1971

Shutdown of the Azegour mine due to low commodity pricing. Discovery of scheelite (CaWO4) and failed exploitation by the BRPM.

1958 – 1970

Sporadic exploration for Mo and Cu. Exploration included 8,400m of drifts and 4,000m of core drilling.

1950

Historical resources estimated at 120,000t at 0.20 % MoS₂ and 130,000t at 0.20 % W0₃

1946 – 1947

Historical reserves estimated at 500,000t at 0.2 % MoS₂

1931

First mining operations by Société le Molybdène which produced over 200 tonnes of 85% molybdenite (MoS₂) concentrate

1920

First investigation by les Sociétés des Mines de Béni-Aicha et d’Entifa