Zgounder (Ag)
Located in the central Anti-Atlas mountains, Zgounder is the second most-important silver mine in Morocco after the Imiter Mine. A 2,700-tpd expansion feasibility study was delivered in February 2022 that, supported by a high-grade reserve estimate, confirmed strong economics for quadrupling post-expansion production to 6.8 million oz Ag. At end of September 2024, expansion of the Zgounder Mine was 99% complete, and commercial production was expected in Q4-2024.
In February 2022, a feasibility study confirmed strong economics for expanding Zgounder Mine throughput from 700 tpd to 2,700 tpd by building a 2,000 tpd flotation-CIP plant to produce silver bars. The feasibility study, which is supported by a high-grade reserve estimate, is expected to quadruple production to 6.8M oz Ag per year at low LOM AISC of $9.58/oz.
Zgounder Environmental and Social Audit and Assessment, Non-Technical Summary (in French)
Zgounder Environmental and Social Audit and Assessment, Non-Technical Summary
Zgounder Land Acquisition and Livelihood Restoration Plan (in French)
Zgounder Stakeholder Engagement Plan (in French)
Technical Report, Feasibility Study, Zgounder Expansion Project – June 16, 2022
ESIA, Zgounder Expansion Project – February 2022
Technical Report and Updated Mineral Resource Estimate – January 28, 2022
Technical Report and Updated Mineral Resource Estimate – April 30, 2021
Preliminary Economic Assessment – Technical Report March 16, 2018
Preliminary Economic Assessment (March 2014)
The mine is located approximately 260 kilometers east of Agadir, within the Proterozoic Siroua Massif of the Anti-Atlas range.
The Zgounder Mine is accessible from Agadir on well-maintained paved highways (N10 and P1706) that run east for 205 kilometers to Taliouine in the Taroudant province. The bulk of the remaining 61 kilometers to the mine are traveled on a well-paved road to the village of Askaoun. The last five-kilometer stretch to the mine is travelled on a dirt road.
The Zgounder mining permit covers 16 km². Zgounder Regional consists of 7 mining permits and 18 exploration permits that cover an additional 350 km².
2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | |
Ore processed (tons) | 281,634 | 254,976 | 224,515 | 128,923 | 100,667 | 39,763 |
Average grade (g/t Ag) | 250 | 265 | 269 | 255 | 217.6 | 278.5 |
Silver ingots produced (oz) | 740,236 | 855,351 | 692,392 | 439,448 | 286,294 | 258,469 |
Silver concentrate produced (oz) | 1,230,410 | 1,025,356 | 908,254 | 286,871 | 166,122 | – |
Total silver produced (oz) | 1,970,646 | 1,880,707 | 1,600,646 | 726,319 | 452,416 | 258,469 |
According to Marcoux @ al., 2005, “The Zgounder mineralisation is hosted within a Proterozoic volcanosedimentary series. Disseminated mineralization is dominated by mercuriferous native silver (2 to 30 wt.% Hg), with few silver sulfosalts (acanthite, pearceite), arsenopyrite and base-metal sulfides (Fe, Pd, Zn and Cu). Similarities are obvious with the neighbouring silver deposit of Imiter (Managem, located 350km East) and lead to consider Zgounder as another example of Neoproterozoic epithermal deposit in the Anti-Atlas of Morocco, a region that appears more and more as a silver metallogenic province”.
The paragenetic sequence shows two successive stages: an early Fe–As stage, followed by an Ag-bearing polymetallic (Zn–Pb–Cu–Hg) stage.
Paragenetic sequence and mineral intergrowth suggest that the two mineralisation styles belong to a single hydrothermal event. Native silver is by far the most common silver mineral. It is not pure silver, but a Ag–Hg amalgam. Acanthite (Ag2S) is the main silver sulfide but less abundant, also present are tennantite and tetrahedrite.
For 2024, a 40,000m drill program has been planned at Zgounder. A total of 30,000m will follow up underground targets generated by the 2023 and H1-2024 near-mine program. Additionally, 10,000m of diamond drilling have been planned on the Zgounder Regional permits to find similar mineralization to the Zgounder deposit and to test Cu-Ag mineralization at Tirzzit.
Zgounder M&I Resources with 2024 Drill Program
Qualified Persons
The Zgounder Expansion Feasibility Study is based on a technical report entitled “NI43-101 TECHNICAL REPORT – FEASIBILITY STUDY ZGOUNDER EXPANSION PROJECT”, originally dated March 31, 2022, and amended on June 16, 2022 with an effective date of December 13, 2021 (“The Zgounder Report”) which was prepared under the supervision of Daniel M. Gagnon, DRA, with the participation of William Stone, Antoine Yassa, Jarita Barry, Fred Brown, Eugene Puritch, Daniel Morrison, André-François Gravel, Claude Bisaillon, Julie Gravel, Kathy Kalenchuk, Hugo Della Sbarba, Philippe Rio Roberge, Richard Barbeau & Stephen Coates, all “Qualified Persons” for the purpose of the Zgounder Report.
Scientific and technical information contained on this page have been reviewed and approved by David Lalonde, B.Sc, Aya’s Vice-President, Exploration and a QP as defined under NI 43-101.