Morila Gold Mine
Encyclopedia
The Morila Gold Mine is an open-pit
gold mine situated 180 km south of Bamako
, near the community of Sanso
, in the Sikasso Region
of Mali
. The operation is jointly owned by AngloGold Ashanti
and Randgold Resources
, who each have an effective holding of 40% through jointly-owned Morila Limited, while the Government of Mali owns the remaining 20%.
Apart from Morila, AngloGold Ashanti's also ownes part of the Sadiola
and the Yatela Mine
in Mali. The production of its mines in Mali contruibuted 8% to the company's overall production in 2008.
The mine was operated by AngloGold Ashanti, but operations were taken over by Randgold in 2008.
Mining at Morila, carried out in a single open pit, was completed in April 2009. The treatment of low-grade stockpiles however is expected to continue until 2013. Consequently, with the mining having ceased, the number of employees at Morila has fallen from 1,700 in 2008 to 1,053 in 2009.
Randgold, the operator of the mine, has commenced a study to investigate the viability of a large agricultural business in the area, which could use some of the existing infrastructure of the mine after its closure and provide employment for the than retrenched mining staff.
The mine has been blamed for dividing the people in local commuties in the region into those that have found well-paying jobs in the mine and prospered, while those that have not remain poor. A strike at the mine in 2004 was aimed at countering this issue, resulting in a promise by the mine owners to invest into the local communities after the mine closure
.
Open-pit mining
Open-pit mining or opencast mining refers to a method of extracting rock or minerals from the earth by their removal from an open pit or borrow....
gold mine situated 180 km south of Bamako
Bamako
Bamako is the capital of Mali and its largest city with a population of 1.8 million . Currently, it is estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa and sixth fastest in the world...
, near the community of Sanso
Sanso
Sanso is a small town and commune in the Cercle of Bougouni in the Sikasso Region of south-western Mali. As of 1998 the commune had a population of 11,278.The Morila Gold Mine is located seven miles from the village....
, in the Sikasso Region
Sikasso Region
Sikasso is the southern-most region of Mali. The capital city of the same name is the 3rd-largest city and is growing rapidly due to people fleeing the violence in Côte d'Ivoire to the south. Major ethnic groups include the Senoufo, known for masks and reverence for animals, the Samago, known for...
of Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
. The operation is jointly owned by AngloGold Ashanti
AngloGold Ashanti
AngloGold Ashanti Limited is a global gold mining company. It was formed in 2004 by the merger of AngloGold and the Ashanti Goldfields Corporation.AngloGold Ashanti Limited is now a global gold producer with 21 operations on four continents...
and Randgold Resources
Randgold Resources
Randgold Resources is a Jersey-based gold mining business operating mainly in Mali. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ stock exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.-History:...
, who each have an effective holding of 40% through jointly-owned Morila Limited, while the Government of Mali owns the remaining 20%.
Apart from Morila, AngloGold Ashanti's also ownes part of the Sadiola
Sadiola Gold Mine
The Sadiola Gold Mine is an open-pit gold mine situated near Sadiola, in the Kayes Region of Mali. The operation is jointly owned by AngloGold Ashanti and Iamgold, who each have an effective holding of 41%, while the Government of Mali owns the remaining 18%...
and the Yatela Mine
Yatela Mine
The Yatela Mine is an open-pit gold mine situated near Yatela, 25 km north of Sadiola, in the Kayes Region of Mali. It is a single-pit operation. Commencing operation in 2001, heap leaching together with carbon-loading is carried out at a rate of approximately 2.9 million tonnes per year...
in Mali. The production of its mines in Mali contruibuted 8% to the company's overall production in 2008.
The mine was operated by AngloGold Ashanti, but operations were taken over by Randgold in 2008.
History
The mine opened in October 2000.Mining at Morila, carried out in a single open pit, was completed in April 2009. The treatment of low-grade stockpiles however is expected to continue until 2013. Consequently, with the mining having ceased, the number of employees at Morila has fallen from 1,700 in 2008 to 1,053 in 2009.
Randgold, the operator of the mine, has commenced a study to investigate the viability of a large agricultural business in the area, which could use some of the existing infrastructure of the mine after its closure and provide employment for the than retrenched mining staff.
The mine has been blamed for dividing the people in local commuties in the region into those that have found well-paying jobs in the mine and prospered, while those that have not remain poor. A strike at the mine in 2004 was aimed at countering this issue, resulting in a promise by the mine owners to invest into the local communities after the mine closure
Mine closure
Mine closure is the period of time when the ore-extracting activities of a mine have ceased, and final decommissioning and mine reclamation are being completed. It is generally associated with reduced employment levels, which can have a significant negative impact on local economies...
.
Production
Production figures of the recent past were:| Year | Production | Grade | Cost per ounce |
| 2003 | 794,000 ounces | 7.56 g/t | US$ United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... 108 |
| 2004 | 510,000 ounces | 4.44 g/t | US$ 184 |
| 2005 | 655,000 ounces | 5.41 g/t | US$ 191 |
| 2006 | 517,000 ounces | 3.88 g/t | US$ 275 |
| 2007 | 450,000 ounces | 3.36 g/t | US$ 350 |
| 2008 | 425,000 ounces | 3.08 g/t | US$ 419 |
| 2009 | 342,000 ounces | 2.47 g/t | US$ 527 |
| 2010 |
External links
- AngloGold Ashanti website
- Randgold website
- Morila mine (MLI-00122) Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States website
- Morila Gold Mine description ICMM websiteInternational Council on Mining and MetalsThe International Council on Mining and Metals is composed of 18 mining companies. The council was formed in October 2001 to comply with the mission set forth in the Global Mining Initiative. Criticism of lack of oversight in industrial mining operations from environmental and social groups...