Gold mining in Suriname is in an early, rapid discovery phase.
Sela Creek has hosted artisanal and alluvial mining for many decades but has yet to be geologically tested in a systematic way.
The two largest producers in Suriname are Newmont (3.9Moz Gold Merian Mine) and Zijin (3.5Moz Au Rosebel Mine).
Suriname is a pro-mining jurisdiction and mining is a large source of national revenue for the country.
Through the recently announced definitive agreement to acquire 79North, Miata holds two assets within the greenstone belt in Suriname. Both the Sela Creek and Nassau Projects, that form the basis of the acquisition, host significant, large-scale alluvial/artisanal gold mining indicative of potentially large-scale ore bodies.
Both projects have been artisanally mined for over 100 years and have comprehensive exploration databases.
Dr. Jaap Verbaas is a seasoned geologist with extensive expertise in field geology, specializing in orogenic gold and Iron Oxide Copper Gold (IOCG) deposits. His work encompasses both brownfields and grassroots exploration, with a strong focus on modeling geological processes such as alteration, metasomatism, igneous fractionation, accumulation, and metamorphic petrology.
Dr. Verbaas also possesses significant capabilities in structural geology, geochronology, and technical terrain analysis. He earned his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Structural Geology and Metamorphic Petrology from Utrecht University, followed by a Ph.D. in Proterozoic Geology of the Yukon Territory from Simon Fraser University.
This robust academic foundation, combined with his hands-on experience, equips Dr. Verbaas to identify and capitalize on valuable geological opportunities in the industry.