What has been the most memorable experience during your time in the Gen Gold program so far?
Tasiast is a very unique environment which has undergone phenomenal change since Kinross’ acquisition in 2010. Being a part of the massive effort to drill, describe, sample and model the expansive West Branch mineralization was a once in a lifetime opportunity. The site has an excellent exploration team, and I’m grateful for the experience of working alongside hard-working and skilled Mauritanian colleagues to define the site’s resources.
When the definition drilling of West Branch slowed, I spent multiple weeks mapping and sampling the underexplored regional limits of the permit boundaries surrounding Tasiast. Mapping outside the mine limit was rewarding professionally as our work helped drive future exploration targeting in the district. Daily encounters with the fauna of the desert, such as camels and goats, were a personal highlight.
Akira Rattenbury (Exploration Geologist) logging core at Tasiast in November 2011.
Culturally, the most memorable experience occurred when I was mapping with Ahmedou Taleb (Chief Exploration Geologist, Tasiast) and we were invited to share a lukewarm bowl of sweetened camel milk in an exploration outpost 50 km north of the mine in 45 C heat. Hardly fluent in French and Hasani, I struggled to understand the context of our friendly visit, but eagerly sat and enjoyed the occasion as a truly unique cultural experience.
