0 % ▁( 4 0 % ▁- ▁ 4 0 %) ▁of ▁S ML ▁and ▁the ▁Government ▁of ▁Niger ▁holds ▁a ▁ 2 0 % ▁st ake . ▁ ▁The ▁mine ▁site ▁itself ▁was ▁created ▁around ▁the ▁Sam ira ▁Hill ▁gold ▁depos it , ▁found ▁on ▁the ▁T ia wa ▁expl oration ▁permit ▁and ▁the ▁Lib iri ▁gold ▁depos it ▁( three ▁kilom eters ▁away ) ▁found ▁on ▁the ▁Sa ou ra ▁expl oration ▁permit ' '. ▁ ▁Production ▁On ▁ 5 ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁President ▁Mam ad ou ▁T and ja ▁announced ▁the ▁official ▁opening ▁of ▁the ▁Sam ira ▁Hill ▁Gold ▁Mine , ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁Niger ien ▁gold ▁ing ot ▁was ▁presented ▁to ▁him . ▁This ▁marked ▁a ▁historical ▁moment ▁for ▁Niger ▁as ▁the ▁Sam ira ▁Hill ▁Gold ▁Mine ▁represents ▁the ▁first ▁commercial ▁gold ▁production ▁in ▁the ▁country . ▁ ▁The ▁mine ' s ▁two ▁p its ▁are ▁open ▁p its , ▁ 3   km ▁from ▁one ▁another , ▁both ▁around ▁ 5   km ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁Bur k ina ▁F aso ▁border , ▁and ▁ 9 5   km ▁west - n orth - west ▁from ▁Ni ame y . ▁The ▁larger ▁Sam ira ▁Pit ▁and ▁the ▁Lib iri ▁pit ▁run ▁east – west ▁along ▁the ▁site , ▁with ▁Lib iri ▁pit ▁to ▁the ▁east . ▁The ▁ore ▁processing ▁is ▁done ▁by ▁cr ushing , ▁gr inding , ▁and ▁carbon ▁le aching ▁( G old ▁cy an id ation ), ▁which ▁requires ▁a ▁pipeline