Mahdia — Issano Regional Block
Introduction
The Mahdia — Issano regional block is also located in a very important gold and diamond field in Guyana. Gold and diamond production in this area dates from the late 1800's. Numerous small scale operations have produced alluvial diamonds and both primary and alluvial gold from this area since that time. Among the most important alluvial gold and diamond producing areas are the Mahdia and Minehaha Rivers, where bucket wheel dredges worked between 1903 and 1958. Golden Star Resources explored the Proto-Mahdia alluvial deposit between 1987 and 1992, and reported a resource of approximately 67,000 ounces of alluvial gold.
Several primary gold occurrences have also been reported in this region, consisting mostly of high-grade quartz veins and associated hydrothermal alteration zones. Omai Gold Mines has reported a 4 Mt @ 1.4 g/t gold resource at its Eagle Mountain project, located near the Company's Mahdia – Issano regional block.
Location and Access
The Mahdia region is accessible by all-weather road from Georgetown, taking approximately eight hours. Branch roads lead to the different gold operations in the region. (See Figure 8)
History
The Potaro/Mahdia Goldfield has produced over 1 million ounces of gold since its discovery in 1884, mainly from alluvial workings. By 1920 virtually every creek had been prospected and alluvial gold was worked from many river systems.
The Guiana Gold Company operated a dredge in the Konawaruk River from 1907 to 1927 and the Minnehaha Development Company operated a dredge in the Minnehaha and Mahdia Rivers from 1903 to 1936 producing 91,000 and 86,000 ounces of gold respectively. From 1937 the British Guiana Consolidated Gold Company succeeded the Minnehaha Development Company and produced an average of 9,000 ounces a year until ceasing operations in 1958 . McDame Exploration Ltd. investigated alluvial gold in Mahdia in 1975-1976. Work done included Banka drilling and pitting of the headwaters of the Mahdia and Proto-Mahdia Channels.
Golden Star Resources Ltd. undertook an extensive evaluation of both the bedrock and alluvial potential of the Mahdia area between 1987 and 1994. The Golden Star exploration permit area, when relinquished, was divided up into small scale mining license areas, many of which are now being actively worked. The Company's Mahdia – Issano regional block includes 82 of these small scale claims with a total area of 13.6 sq mi.
In the period from 1970 to 1972, GGMC drilled 17 core holes in the Dickman Hill, Minnehaha and Mile 19 areas primarily to investigate molybdenum mineralization. This core was re-examined in 1988 by Golden Star Resources.
Small scale intermittent hydraulic placer mining of the Dickman Hill area by the GGMC commenced in March 1980, and was halted at the end of November 1982 (Edwards et al, 1983). Mechanical mining using bulldozers started in 1984, and continued until August 1987, when operations ceased (GGMC Annual Report 1987). Production was limited.
Gold and Diamond Potential
Sacre-Coeur's Mahdia - Issano properties are located either within or in the vicinity of the Proto-Mahdia channel. The Company considers these properties to have good potential for the discovery of alluvial gold and diamond deposits, as well as primary gold potential in bedrock.
Mahdia — Issano Regional Block
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