Region - Exploration

WEST AFRICA

IAMGOLD has an Exploration Office in Dakar, Senegal servicing West Africa, with a staff of approximately 15 people. 

With three producing mines in Africa amongst its gold mining interests IAMGOLD is concentrating a significant portion of its exploration effort in West Africa. The Proterozoic Birimian geological terrane of West Africa hosts some of the world’s most prolific gold districts, and is an area that is under-explored. Our exploration office in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, is being expanded.

In southeast Senegal, IAMGOLD controls 63,000 hectares underlain by the Birimian Kedougou- Kenieba greenstone belt. Drilling in 2008 identified several new gold zones. Late in 2008 we acquired an option to earn a 50% interest in a large adjoining property, the Siribaya gold project in western Mali. Merrex Gold Inc. has identified encouraging gold mineralization on this 70,000 hectare property. In Burkina Faso, while construction of the Essakane mine moves ahead, exploration will begin on the concessions surrounding the mine property. A number of geochemical anomalies show good potential for additional discoveries. Generative work in select coastal countries of West Africa is also part of our broader growth strategy for the region.