Barrick Gold Corp.’s Kibali mine on track- DRC
Barrick Gold Corporation’s Kibali mine is on track to deliver at the high end of its forecast for 2020, Chairman and CEO Mark Bristow said on Thursday, October 22, a press release from the mining giant reported .
The first underground gold mine in the DRC and one of the largest in the world today, Kibali is a world leader in automation. The firm continues to improve its efficiency and productivity through continuous technological innovation.
In the third quarter, it set a new record for delivering ore underground, topping the nameplate for the first time since the well was commissioned in 2018. The mine’s production outlook was previously set at 340,000-370 000 ounces of gold in 2020.
“Automation is often associated with reduced employment, but we use it as an opportunity to further improve the skills of our workers and to reduce our need for expatriate specialists. It should be noted that Kibali – one of Barrick’s elite Tier 1 mining corps – is led by a predominantly Congolese management team in accordance with our policy of hiring and promoting nationals of the host country ”, Bristow said.
A first-level mine is one capable of producing at least 500,000 ounces of gold per year for at least 10 years at the lower end of the industry cost profile. Brownfield exploration prolonged Kibali’s life by replacing reserves depleted by mining, Bristow said. Barrick’s exploration teams are also looking for the next Kibali elsewhere in the DRC, Bristow argued.
Kibali also reports that in the last quarter of 2020, battery technology was successfully integrated into the company’s power grid to augment the mine’s three hydropower plants and offset the cyclic load of the reel. In line with Barrick’s global shift to cleaner energy sources, the new technology, the firm argues, will further reduce the mine’s carbon footprint and thermal energy use.
Bristow said after meeting with President Felix Tshisekedi on October 22 that they agreed Kibali brought a thriving local economy to what was previously one of the most disadvantaged regions. of the DRC.
“The continuous paved extension of the Durba road will provide construction work to local contractors for the next three years. Community support continues to be reinforced by other initiatives such as the Renzi agribusiness project and the planned palm oil project. We also remain committed to transferring skills to the community, and the modernization of the Kokiza Engineering Training Center is expected to start later this year, ”he said.
Much more, utility buildings initially built as isolation rooms during the Ebola epidemic and then used as a quarantine center for Covid-19 cases, will now be turned into a tropical disease center to serve local communities.
Under the management of Cyril Mutombo who is the CEO, Kibali Gold Mines is a joint venture between Barrick Gold (45%), Anglo Gold (45%) and SOKIMO representing the DRC (10%). Kibali operates in Haut-Uélé province, in the northeast of the DRC.
