Modern Mining April 2019

MINING News

Nordgold to continue investing in Burkina Faso

Nord Gold SE (Nordgold), the internation- ally diversified gold producer, reports that it more than doubled capital expenditures in the development of its three mines in Burkina Faso to over US$145 million in 2018 from US$62 million in 2017, high- lighting its status as one of the country’s largest gold producers and a major eco- nomic contributor to the country and local communities. “Since 2009, we have invested over

optimal production in 2019 and beyond,” adds Louw Smith, Nordgold’s COO. “Last year regional exploration programmes yielded promising satellite targets for Bissa and Taparko. We have also acquired a number of exploration licences that have the potential to increase the life of mines of Bissa and Bouly. “Our continued investment in new equipment and state-of-the-art technolo- gies also serves to improve safety as well

as operational performance. Investment programmes will continue this year in order to maximise the true potential of our outstanding assets in the country.” Nordgold operates three mines in Burkina Faso: the Bissa and Bouly mines, which were built by the company in 2013 and 2016 respectively, and the Taparko mine, acquired in late 2008. Together, these mines account for approximately 40 % of Nordgold’s total annual production. 

US$1 billion into Burkina Faso,” comments Nikolai Zelenski, CEO of Nordgold. “The launch of the Bouly mine in 2016 confirmed our position as the second larg- est gold producer in the country, with total production of over 360 000 ounces per year. We will maintain this level of investment in 2019, highlighting our con- tinued commitment to Burkina Faso, where have established ourselves as significant employ- ers, large contributors to the local economy and also a major tax- payer. We are confident this next phase of investment will generate benefits for all our stakeholders, both in Burkina Faso and to our shareholders.” “2018 has seen considerable investment in extensive waste stripping activities, meaning our operations are best placed for

The Bouly gold mine, which was commissioned in 2016. An open-pit, heap leach operation which produced 124 koz in 2017, Bouly is located within 5 km of Nordgold’s Bissa mine (photo: Nordgold).

Palabora Mining awards ventilation shaft contract Murray & Roberts Cementation has been awarded a contract by Palabora Mining Company (PMC) for a 1 200-m deep venti- lation shaft.

for the winder, headgear and other site con- struction. Shaft drilling itself will be done with two twin-boom Komatsu shaft drill rigs and mucking by a Komatsu excavator with close to a ton of loading capacity. “Ground conditions are expected to be a challenge in some areas, as profiled from the cover and core drilling,”says Blom. “However, we have various ways of reduc- ing the risk and downtime during these intersections – such as keeping the shaft lining as close as possible to the shaft bottom.” Blom notes that the company con- tinuously improves performance based on lessons learnt from its wealth of pre- vious projects. This allows a constant focus on securing safe, sustainable and efficient shaft sinking to deliver on the completion target. 

to March 2020. This will facilitate the slow sink to 200 m and the main sink until February 2022. Canadian shutter and lin- ing methods will be employed. The team is expected to conduct shaft stripping by mid-April 2022 and to dis-establish the site by the end of May 2022. “There will be no stations or other exca- vations required, so this will help keep the team in a sinking cycle and optimise pro- duction levels,” he says. “We will run full calendar operations (Fulco) with 12-hour shifts and cycles of five-day shifts, five- night shifts and five shifts off.” A relatively small labour force of 123 people is planned for steady main sink- ing conditions, with some sub-contractors conducting surface piling and civil works

The shaft, with a lined diameter of 8,5 m, will reach a final blind sink depth of 1 190 m before a drop raise takes it to its final depth, according to Braam Blom, project executive at Murray & Roberts Cementation. “The duration of this project is expected to be just over three years,”says Blom.“After mobilisation, site establishment and sur- face civils have been completed, we expect to conduct pre-sinking until the end of 2019, with the use of our special shaft-sink- ing gantry to a shaft depth of 65 metres.” A surface headgear and winder installa- tion will then be constructed from January

April 2019  MODERN MINING  13