Review of International Operations
Damang Gold Mine
 Technical short form report (PDF - 1MB)
Damang Gold Mine is owned and operated by
Abosso Goldfields Limited (AGL), a Ghanaian registered
company. With Gold Fields’
acquisition of IAMGold’s indirect 18.9% stake
in the Damang Gold Mine in June 2011, Gold
Fields now owns 90% of the issued shares of
AGL with the Ghanaian government owning
the remaining 10% free carried interest. The
Damang Gold Mine consists of two mining
leases, namely the Damang mining lease and
the Lima South mining lease, covering a
combined total of 8,111 hectares as well as
four prospecting licences.
The Damang Gold Mine is located in southwestern
Ghana near the southern end of what
is commonly referred to as the Tarkwa Basin,
300 kilometres by road west of Accra, the
capital of Ghana. The mine exploits oxide and
fresh hydrothermal mineralisation in addition to
Witwatersrand-style palaeoplacer gold.
The hydrothermal mineralisation is located in
Tarkwaian sediments and is the only deposit of
its kind located on the eastern side of the
Ashanti Belt in south-west Ghana. Damang’s
main ore body is located close to the closure of
an antiform, while all other known palaeoplacer
mineralisation is located on the eastern and
western limbs of the anticline.
The Damang plant currently processes
5.2 Mtpa from a blend of approximately
5% oxide ore and 95% fresh ore. The ore
is sourced from various open pit mining operations and existing surface stockpiles.
Process feed for the 12-month period to
31 December 2011 comprised 4.9 Mt at
a yield of 1.37 g/t for 218 koz.
This technical short form report reflects the
latest Life of Mine plan input parameters,
together with an updated Mineral Resource
and Mineral Reserve statement. The declared
Mineral Reserve as at 31 December 2011 has
increased by 1.3 Moz of gold when reconciled
against the December 2010 statement,
predominantly due to new discovery.
All Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve
figures reported are managed unless otherwise
stated and Mineral Resources are inclusive of
Mineral Reserves.
| |
|
Units |
Dec
2011 |
Dec
20101 |
June
2010 |
June
2009 |
June
2008 |
|
| |
Open pit mining |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Total mined |
kt |
23,515 |
|
7,144 |
12,529 |
19,459 |
31,422 |
|
| |
– Waste mined |
kt |
18,735 |
|
4,962 |
8,658 |
15,057 |
27,300 |
|
| |
– Ore mined |
kt |
4,780 |
|
2,182 |
3,871 |
4,402 |
4,092 |
|
| |
Mined grade |
g/t |
1.7 |
|
1.9 |
1.6 |
1.6 |
1.6 |
|
| |
Strip ratio (tonnes) |
waste : ore |
3.9 |
|
2.3 |
2.2 |
3.4 |
6.7 |
|
| |
Processing |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
– Mill tonnes |
kt |
4,942 |
|
2,491 |
5,028 |
4,991 |
4,516 |
|
| |
Total tonnes |
kt |
4,942 |
|
2,491 |
5,028 |
4,991 |
4,516 |
|
| |
– Mill head grade |
g/t |
1.5 |
|
1.6 |
1.3 |
1.3 |
1.4 |
|
| |
Total head grade |
g/t |
1.5 |
|
1.6 |
1.3 |
1.3 |
1.4 |
|
| |
Combined yield |
g/t |
1.4 |
|
1.5 |
1.3 |
1.2 |
1.3 |
|
| |
Plant recovery factor |
% |
91.8 |
|
93.3 |
92.9 |
93.1 |
93.8 |
|
| |
Gold produced |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
– Mill |
koz |
218 |
|
117 |
207 |
200 |
194 |
|
| |
Total gold produced |
koz |
218 |
|
117 |
207 |
200 |
194 |
|
| |
kg |
6,772 |
|
3,637 |
6,451 |
6,233 |
6,041 |
|
| |
Gold sold |
koz |
218 |
|
117 |
207 |
200 |
194 |
|
| |
Financials |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Surface operating cost |
US$/oz |
653 |
|
632 |
630 |
692 |
608 |
|
| |
Total cash cost |
US$/oz |
701 |
|
636 |
660 |
661 |
551 |
|
| |
Capital expenditure |
US$ million |
88.0 |
|
56.3 |
29.8 |
16.9 |
28.1 |
|
| |
Notional cash expenditure (NCE) |
US$/oz |
1,056 |
|
1,114 |
774 |
745 |
753 |
|
| |
General |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Employees (TEC) |
number |
1,588 |
|
1,423 |
1,478 |
1,598 |
1,613 |
|
| |
Mineral Reserves |
Mt |
61.7 |
|
40.5 |
41.9 |
36.1 |
25.5 |
|
| |
Mineral Reserve Head Grade |
g/t |
1.7 |
|
1.6 |
1.6 |
1.6 |
1.7 |
|
| |
Mineral Reserves |
Moz |
3.4 |
|
2.1 |
2.1 |
1.8 |
1.4 |
|
| |
Expected Life of Mine |
years |
13 |
|
9 |
9 |
9 |
5 |
|
| 1 |
Figures shown represent the six months to 31 December 2010. Rounding off of figures presented in this report may result in minor computational discrepancies. Where this
occurs it is not deemed significant. |
|
