Obuasi Gold Mine
Encyclopedia
The Obuasi Gold Mine is an open-pit
and underground gold mine situated near Obuasi
, in the Ashanti Region
of Ghana
. The operation is owned by AngloGold Ashanti
.
In 2008, AngloGold Ashanti's Ghana operations, consisting of Obuasi and the Iduapriem Gold Mine
, contributed 11% to the company's annual production. Both mines became part of AngloGold Ashanti when AngloGold
merged with the Ashanti Goldfields Corporation
in 2004.
In 2009, the mine employed over 5,700 people. The mine experienced two fatalities in 2008 and one in 2009.
In an interview Kwesi Enyan, the Managing Director of the mine, announced that the mine, while potentially rich, faces challenges like returning the mine to profitability, addressing social and environmental issues, improving community engagement and illegal mining. The mine was criticised as early as 1975 for environmental pollution, and continues to do so.
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....
and underground gold mine situated near Obuasi
Obuasi
Obuasi is a city in southern Ghana, lying south of Kumasi. It has a population of 115,564 On the railway line from Kumasi to Sekondi, it is known for its gold mine, now one of the ten largest in the world, gold having been mined on the site since at least the seventeenth century. Tourists can...
, in the Ashanti Region
Ashanti Region
The Ashanti Region is the third largest of 10 administrative regions in Ghana, occupying a total land surface of 24389 square kilometers or 10.2 per cent of the total land area of Ghana. In terms of population, however, it is the most populated region with a population of 3,612,950 in 2000,...
of Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. The operation is 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...
.
In 2008, AngloGold Ashanti's Ghana operations, consisting of Obuasi and the Iduapriem Gold Mine
Iduapriem Gold Mine
The Iduapriem Gold Mine is an open-pit gold mine situated 10 km south of Tarkwa, in the Western Region of Ghana. The mine is owned by AngloGold Ashanti and consists of the Iduapriem and the Teberebie operation, which were merged in 2000...
, contributed 11% to the company's annual production. Both mines became part of AngloGold Ashanti when AngloGold
AngloGold
AngloGold was a gold mining company based in South Africa and majority-owned by the Anglo American group. In 2004 it merged with the Ashanti Goldfields Corporation to create the world's second-largest gold producer, AngloGold Ashanti. It's a big company....
merged with the Ashanti Goldfields Corporation
Ashanti Goldfields Corporation
This is the article on the mining company. For the football club of the same name see Ashanti Gold SC.The Ashanti Goldfields Corporation is a gold mining company based in Ghana that was founded by Edwin Cade. The Ashanti Mine, located at Obuasi, 56 km south of Kumasi, has been producing since 1897...
in 2004.
In 2009, the mine employed over 5,700 people. The mine experienced two fatalities in 2008 and one in 2009.
History
Mining at Obuasi begun in 1897, then referred to as the Ashanti Mine.In an interview Kwesi Enyan, the Managing Director of the mine, announced that the mine, while potentially rich, faces challenges like returning the mine to profitability, addressing social and environmental issues, improving community engagement and illegal mining. The mine was criticised as early as 1975 for environmental pollution, and continues to do so.
Production
Production figures of the recent past were:| Year | Production | Grade | Cost per ounce |
| 2002 | 537,219 ounces | 4.84 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.... 198 |
| 2003 | 513,163 ounces | 4.28 g/t | US$ 217 |
| 2004 | 255,000 ounces | 5.27 g/t | US$ 305 |
| 2005 | 391,000 ounces | 4.77 g/t | US$ 345 |
| 2006 | 387,000 ounces | 4.39 g/t | US$ 395 |
| 2007 | 360,000 ounces | 4.43 g/t | US$ 459 |
| 2008 | 357,000 ounces | 4.37 g/t | US$ 633 |
| 2009 | 381,000 ounces | 5.18 g/t | US$ 630 |
| 2010 |
- The 2004 results are for the eight month from May to December only.
External links
- AngloGold Ashanti website
- Obuasi mine (GHA-00013) Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States website