Sadiola Gold Mine
Encyclopedia
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%. The International Finance Corporation
originally held 6% of the mine put sold this share equally to Anglo and Iamgold in December 2009.
Apart from Sadiola and the near-by Yatela Mine
, AngloGold Ashanti's also operates the Morila Gold Mine
in Mali. The production of its mines in Mali contruibuted 8% to the company's overall production in 2008.
.
Non-government mining exploration the area begun in 1990, by a predecessor company of Iamgold, and, in 1992, Anglo American entered into a joint venture with Iamgoldto develop the project. Anglo American eventually transferred its rights to AngloGold
, which, in 2004, became AngloGold Ashanti. Development of the mine begun in 1994 and it opened in 1996. While the mine is owned jointly by AngloGold Ashanti, Iamgoldand the Gouvernment of Mali, AngloGold Ashanti is the operator of the mine.
In 2009, the mine employed just over 1,500 people. The development of the mine is however not universally seen as positive, with local farmers complaining that they have not been adequatly compensated for loss of land or loss of cattle poisened from a cyanide spill.
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 near Sadiola
Sadiola
Sadiola is a town and commune in western Mali, south of Kayes. It is home to the largest gold mine in West Africa, the Sadiola Gold Mine, operated by Anglogold-Ashanti. As of 1998 the commune had a population of 16,678....
, in the Kayes Region
Kayes Region
Kayes Region is one of eight first level national subdivisions, called Regions in Mali. It is the first administrative area of Mali and covers an area of 120,760 km²...
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 Iamgold
IAMGOLD
Iamgold Corporation is a Toronto based international gold producer. The company is engaged in the exploration, development, and production of mineral resource properties throughout the world.-Operations:...
, who each have an effective holding of 41%, while the Government of Mali owns the remaining 18%. The International Finance Corporation
International Finance Corporation
The International Finance Corporation promotes sustainable private sector investment in developing countries.IFC is a member of the World Bank Group and is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States....
originally held 6% of the mine put sold this share equally to Anglo and Iamgold in December 2009.
Apart from Sadiola and the near-by 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...
, AngloGold Ashanti's also operates the Morila Gold Mine
Morila Gold Mine
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,...
in Mali. The production of its mines in Mali contruibuted 8% to the company's overall production in 2008.
History
Mining in this region of Mali, according to old workings, dates back at least 1,000 years and written records confirm that small scale mining was carried out there for most of the past 300 years. From 1987 onwards, the Gouvernment of Mali carried out exploration activities in the area, funded by the European Development FundEuropean Development Fund
The European Development Fund is the main instrument for European Union aid for development cooperation in Africa, the Caribbean, and Pacific countries and the Overseas Countries and Territories...
.
Non-government mining exploration the area begun in 1990, by a predecessor company of Iamgold, and, in 1992, Anglo American entered into a joint venture with Iamgoldto develop the project. Anglo American eventually transferred its rights to 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....
, which, in 2004, became AngloGold Ashanti. Development of the mine begun in 1994 and it opened in 1996. While the mine is owned jointly by AngloGold Ashanti, Iamgoldand the Gouvernment of Mali, AngloGold Ashanti is the operator of the mine.
In 2009, the mine employed just over 1,500 people. The development of the mine is however not universally seen as positive, with local farmers complaining that they have not been adequatly compensated for loss of land or loss of cattle poisened from a cyanide spill.
Production
Production figures of the recent past were:| Year | Production | Grade | Cost per ounce |
| 2003 | 452,000 ounces | 2.77 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.... 210 |
| 2004 | 459,000 ounces | 2.77 g/t | US$ 242 |
| 2005 | 442,000 ounces | 2.73 g/t | US$ 265 |
| 2006 | 500,000 ounces | 3.22 g/t | US$ 270 |
| 2007 | 369,000 ounces | 2.76 g/t | US$ 414 |
| 2008 | 453,000 ounces | 3.42 g/t | US$ 399 |
| 2009 | 354,000 ounces | 2.52 g/t | US$ 488 |
| 2010 |
External links
- AngloGold Ashanti website
- IAMGOLD website
- THE SADIOLA HILL GOLD PROJECT International Finance CorporationInternational Finance CorporationThe International Finance Corporation promotes sustainable private sector investment in developing countries.IFC is a member of the World Bank Group and is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States....
website - Sadiola mine (MLI-00035) Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States website