Tag Archives: Barrick Gold

Barminco secures underground contract extension with Barrick at Hemlo, Canada

Mine operation news, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , ,

Perenti’s underground mining business, Barminco, has signed a three-year contract with Barrick Gold Corporation to continue contract mining at the Hemlo gold mine in Canada.

Hemlo is 350 km east of Thunder Bay in Ontario, Canada, and has been in production since 1989. In 2019, Barrick transitioned the operation to a contract mining model from owner operator, and Barminco has been the main underground contractor since. The contract is initially for 36 months, but also includes two 12-month options to extend. If these options are exercised, Barminco will be operating at Hemlo until 2029.

Under the terms of the existing contract, Barrick owns the current fleet of underground equipment and will procure any additional fleet required for the mine. This significantly reduces the capital intensity of the project for Barminco, it says. The total contract value is worth more than A$200 million ($132 million) and involves underground mine development, production and mining support services.

Mark Norwell, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Perenti, said: “The continuation of our relationship with Barrick at the Hemlo gold mine for at least the next three years is another great example of how our Contract Mining team extends contracts over the life of a mine operation. The long-term nature of these relationships is built on a foundation of creating enduring value and certainty for our clients. This aligns our operational success with the goals of our clients and creates a collaborative working environment.

“The low capital intensity of this project is one of several capital light contracts we operate across the organisation, with our first capital light contract secured in 2018.”

Gabrielle Iwanow, President of Contract Mining at Perenti, added: “We are pleased to continue working with Barrick and demonstrating our leading underground capability in the North American market. Barrick is an important client for Barminco and we look forward to continuing to partner with them to deliver safe production at Hemlo.”

In Barrick Gold’s most recent June quarter results, it stated that Hemlo produced 37,000 oz of gold in the three-month period.

SGS to operate on-site geochemistry lab featuring PhotonAssay tech at Barrick’s North Mara

Mining services, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, , , , ,

SGS, a leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company, has announced a new contract to open and operate a 2,025 sq.m on-site geochemistry laboratory at the North Mara mine, in Tanzania, owned by Barrick Gold.

The state-of-the-art laboratory will be equipped to provide sample preparation, analytical testing and fire assay, using PhotonAssay™ technology, an environmentally friendly, non-destructive method for gold analysis. The facility will be managed by a dedicated team of 67 full-time SGS employees, ensuring efficient operation and high-quality service, the company says.

Lawrence Ng, Vice-President Geochemistry at SGS, said: “The introduction of the Chrysos PhotonAssay technology on-site represents a significant advancement in gold analysis. This innovative technology not only provides our clients with real-time data, aiding them in making informed decisions throughout the value chain, but also contributes to the optimisation of processes to potentially increase productivity.”

PhotonAssay, Chrysos says, delivers faster, safer and more accurate analysis of gold, silver and complementary elements by non-destructive measurement of larger and more representative samples in as little as two minutes, enabling rapid turnaround of critical operational information that drives optimisation throughout the mining value chain.

The system, originally developed at Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, provides an environmentally-friendly, chemical-free, more sustainable replacement for traditional fire assay methods, significantly reducing CO2 emissions and hazardous waste.

Fleet Space to deploy ExoSphere exploration solution at Barrick’s Reko Diq project

Base metals, Mineral exploration, Mining services, , ,

Fleet Space Technologies has announced the deployment of its end-to-end mineral exploration solution, ExoSphere, at Barrick Gold’s Reko Diq copper-gold exploration project in Pakistan.

Powered by the latest advances in space technology, AI, and 3D multiphysics, ExoSphere is being used to generate 3D subsurface maps of copper porphyry complexes and local groundwater systems for multiple zones of interest, comprising over 1,150 sq.km of the Reko Diq project, it says.

“Barrick Gold and Fleet Space are united in our use of cutting-edge technologies to enhance mineral discovery and unlock sustainability benefits across the exploration journey,” Flavia Tata Nardini, co-Founder & CEO of Fleet Space Technologies, says. “By applying the latest innovations in space, AI and 3D multiphysics to copper exploration, we demonstrate a more sustainable, scalable path to achieve the copper supply needed for our clean energy future, in alignment with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. We are proud to deploy ExoSphere to advance Barrick Gold’s ESG objectives and support the development of a world-class operation at Reko Diq.”

Reko Diq represents one of the largest undeveloped copper-gold projects in the world. The area is one of several volcanic centres in the Chagai mountain range and part of the Tethyan Magmatic Arc which is known to contain significant copper-gold ore deposits of various grades. With plans to begin production in 2028, Reko Diq is poised to be a major contributor to Pakistan’s economy, delivering employment opportunities, investment in development programs and regional economic growth in the Balochistan province.

Fleet Space’s ExoSphere solution has been leveraged to accelerate copper exploration across a number of projects. Recently, Fleet Space conducted the world’s largest real-time Ambient Noise Tomography copper survey with ExoSphere across 1,818 sq.km of Inflection Resource’s tenement portfolio in the Macquarie Arc of the Lachlan Fold Belt in Australia. After multiple new high-priority targets were identified at its Duck Creek project with ExoSphere, AngloGold Ashanti shifted the designation of Duck Creek from Phase 1 to Phase II under their Exploration Agreement with Inflection Resources − which includes drilling targets identified with ExoSphere’s geophysical surveys.

Lifezone Metals edges closer to base metal refinement plan at Kabanga nickel project

Base metals, Energy minerals, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, , , , , , , ,

Lifezone Metals Limited says it has received a Multi-Metal Processing Facility Licence from the Government of Tanzania to refine nickel, copper and cobalt from its Kabanga nickel project at Kahama, located beside Barrick Gold’s former Buzwagi gold mine.

The Kabanga nickel project is in northwest Tanzania and is believed to be one of the world’s largest and highest-grade undeveloped nickel sulphide deposits, Lifezone says. The Kahama Multi-Metal Processing Facility site is around 340 km southwest of Kabanga. Lifezone’s subsidiary, Tembo Nickel Corporation Ltd is the operating entity for Kabanga and Kahama, and is 16% owned by the Government of Tanzania.

Notably, through the application of Lifezone’s Hydromet Technology, Kabanga and Kahama will be able to produce finished metals in-country, potentially reducing capital and operating costs, as well as reducing costs associated with transport of concentrate or other intermediate products. Full in-country beneficiation will contribute towards local content optimisation and eventually national development through the principle of equitable sharing of economic benefits, Lifezone says.

A definitive feasibility study for Kabanga remains on track for completion by the September quarter of 2024.

This licence news came alongside a separate announcement involving the signing of a binding subscription agreement for the issuance of $50 million of convertible debentures with a consortium of marquee mining investors. These are on top of BHP, Glencore and BlackRock as investors in the business. The proceeds are going towards development of Kabanga.

Lifezone Metals’ Hydromet Technology is a transformational method of metals recovery that has the potential to replace smelting for base and precious metals refining, according to the company. Pyrometallurgical smelting is one of the largest contributors to pollutive gas emissions, greenhouse gases and energy inefficiency in the production of metals products and the use of Hydromet Technology will help to unlock nickel, copper and cobalt from Kabanga, providing lower cost, lower emissions (relative to smelting) and traceable metals for electric vehicle batteries and to support the global energy transition, it says.

Chris Showalter, Lifezone CEO, said: “The ongoing level of commitment and support that we have received from the Government of Tanzania in the advancement of our Kabanga nickel project is exemplary. With the receipt of our Kabanga Special Mining Licence, and now the Kahama Refinery Licence, we have a clear path to delivering a direct-to-metal solution and enabling the production of nickel, copper and cobalt in Tanzania and by Tanzanians.”

The issuance of the Kahama Refinery License follows the formal gazettement of the Special Economic Zone (Declaration) Notice, 2024, which declared the Buzwagi Mining Area, within Kahama District in Shinyanga Region, a Special Economic Zone. The Kahama Refinery will be located within the Special Economic Zone, which will provide certain tax and other economic benefits for the project, according to Lifezone.

In addition, the Kahama Refinery stands to benefit from access to a highly trained workforce and legacy infrastructure from the Buzwagi gold mine, including existing camp and office buildings, regional power connections, airstrip, road connections and railway in near proximity, the company says.

This “plug-and-play” industrial hub brings significant project execution and capital cost benefits, as well as turning a past-producing mine liability into a long-term asset. Lifezone will not be taking on any legacy liabilities in relation to the closure of the Buzwagi gold mine, it added.

Draslovka goes commercial with GlyCat leaching at Barrick’s Buylanhulu

Environmental, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, , , , , , ,

Draslovka a.s., a provider of sustainability-led technologies, reagents and services for mining and the energy transition, has progressed its previously announced partnership with Barrick Gold and, today, announces the start of commercial use of its revolutionary glycine leaching technology for gold, GlyCat™, at Barrick’s Buylanhulu operation in Tanzania.

In addition, Draslovka and Barrick’s strategic partnership will now include a broader testing program in 2024 that will span multiple mining sites.

At Bulyanhulu Gold Mine, the GlyCat pilot program has led to an 80% reduction in cyanide consumption while achieving gold recoveries that are comparable with traditional cyanidation, Draslovka says. With GlyCat as part of the process, the mine’s tailings show undetectable levels of WAD and are free of cyanide, thereby reducing detoxification requirements and costs.

Pavel Bruzek Jr, CEO of Draslovka, said: “This licensing agreement follows a highly successful pilot programme that proved the major benefits GlyCat offers to the gold mining industry. GlyCat provides significant economic and sustainability benefits at a time when the future of mining is conditional on cost savings, sustainable operations and securing social license to operate. I look forward to continuing to work with Barrick and am confident others in the sector will soon see that GlyCat is revolutionary and its development will enable a major shift for the gold mining industry through massive economic and environmental benefits. Barrick was the first major mining company to recognise the potential glycine leaching offers and it is a pleasure and honour to work with the team on its commitment to sustainable operations.”

Simon Bottoms, Barrick Mineral Resource Management & Evaluations Executive, added: “The application of GlyCat technology within our operations has significant potential to deliver improved operational efficiencies and cost savings, whilst also improving our environmental legacy. Consequently, we are very pleased to embark upon this strategic partnership with Draslovka to take advantage of this innovative technology across our global operations.”

MSALABS to drive productivity improvements at Nevada Gold Mines complex with new contract

Mineral exploration, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , ,

MSALABS, a global provider of geochemical laboratory services for the exploration and mining sectors, has cemented a major, five-year new contract with Nevada Gold Mines in the US that will see the majority-owned subsidiary of Capital operate a state-of-the-art hybrid laboratory on the gold miner’s behalf. The lab will incorporate both Chrysos PhotonAssay™ technology and traditional fire assay methods as well as full multi-element assaying capabilities.

This represents the largest contract award in MSALABS’s history, anticipated to generate some $140 million over the five-year term, with annual revenues of circa-$30 million once fully operational. Capital expenditure for the project is expected of circa-$7 million in 2024.

Phase one of the project will commence towards the end of the first half of 2024 with the commissioning of two Chrysos PhotonAssay units and a capacity of 80,000 samples per month. Phase two will commence at the end of 2024 with the third Chrysos PhotonAssay unit along with the full geochemical laboratory bringing capacity to 120,000 samples per month as well as associated multi-element testing.

The Nevada Gold Mines contracts represents a significant beachhead for MSA in the US market, entrenching the company’s presence in the Americas, both operationally given the full suite of services across preparation, PhotonAssay, fire assay and multi-element chemistry at a major operation, and also geographically, expanding its footprint in the Americas from its multiple laboratories across Canada and South America, it said.

It also comes alongside Capital’s recently-awarded drilling contract at NGM, which encompasses a wide array of drilling services including underground reverse circulation and diamond, both surface and underground, in addition to Capital announcing former BME and Orica team member Aaron Austin as CEO of the Americas.

Stuart Thomson, MSALABS CEO, said of this contract award: “We are thrilled to have been awarded this material contract, adding to our existing PhotonAssay contracts with Barrick at Bulyanhulu and Kibali. This contract reflects not only the proven advantages of the innovative PhotonAssay technology but also the trusted capabilities of MSALABS across traditional fire assay and multi-element analysis.

“This state-of-the-art hybrid laboratory will be the first of its kind in the USA and, with MSALABS’ holistic approach to laboratory design, will help drive productivity improvements to the Nevada Gold Mines complex.

“These three new PhotonAssay units mark the start of a broader partnership agreement with Barrick Gold, with trials underway for a possible 10 further PhotonAssay units by the end of 2025 across multiple of Barrick’s other operations.”

Lycopodium engaged by Barrick for Lumwana copper expansion study

Base metals, Mine operation news, Mineral project development, Mining services, , , , , ,

Lycopodium has been awarded a contract from Barrick for the feasibility study and basic engineering for the expansion of its Lumwana copper mine in Zambia.

The study and basic engineering contract is valued at approximately A$19 million ($12.5 million), with the project having a capital cost investment of almost $2 billion. Work has commenced, with the accelerated development program targeting completion of the feasibility study by the end of 2024 and expanded process plant production anticipated in 2028.

The expansion of the mine will increase Lumwana’s annual production from 150,000 t of copper at a 26-28 Mt/y process plant production rate, to an estimated 240,000 t of copper at a 50 Mt/y process plant production rate, with an estimated 36-year mine life.

Lumwana is a conventional open-pit (truck and shovel) operation, about 100 km west of Solwezi in Zambia’s Copperbelt. Lumwana ore, which is predominantly sulphide, is treated through a conventional sulphide flotation plant, producing copper concentrate.

Lycopodium Limited’s Managing Director, Peter De Leo, said: “The expansion of Lumwana within Zambia’s world-class copper region supports the country’s commitment to its copper industry, and we are very pleased to have the opportunity to continue our partnership with Barrick and be part of this significant development that will have a material impact on the Zambian economy.”

This engagement follows the award earlier this year of the feasibility study and basic engineering contract for Barrick’s Reko Diq copper-gold project in Pakistan.

Fleet Space’s new EXOSPHERE features to enhance agility, accuracy of customers’ exploration efforts

Environmental, Mineral exploration, Mining software, , , , , , , , ,

Fleet Space Technologies, a leading Australian space company, has announced three innovative features to its mineral exploration technology, EXOSPHERE BY FLEET®, each purpose-built to enhance the agility and accuracy of data-driven exploration efforts worldwide.

Starting today, for all in-progress or future surveys, exploration customers will be able to download several new data intelligence assets on-demand from the ExoSphere platform that will deliver greater insights into ambient noise conditions, data quality and confidence levels across different parts of their 3D model, the company says.

Leveraging Fleet’s constellation of low Earth orbit satellites and the latest advances in passive seismic array technology, EXOSPHERE has rapidly disrupted the mineral exploration industry by reducing the time it takes to receive an actionable 3D model of a survey area from months or years to a matter of days – with near-zero environmental impact, Fleet says. Over 30 global exploration companies have used the technology to conduct surveys on a variety of commodity types across 5 continents, including Rio Tinto, Barrick Gold and Core Lithium, among many others.

Flavia Tata Nardini, CEO of Fleet Space Technologies, said: “We have arrived at an inflection point in humanity’s journey towards renewable energy. The mineral exploration industry is on the brink of unprecedented transformation as shallow discoveries are exhausted and demand for critical minerals needed for the energy transition continue to intensify. Fleet’s space-enabled EXOSPHERE technology has demonstrated a path to scale critical mineral exploration globally while also helping to reduce environmental impact, which is the only approach that will enable humanity to reach its net-zero ambitions over the coming decades.”

Traditionally, data acquisition and processing from geophysical surveys can take years or months before they can be leveraged as part of any exploration campaign. This has made it difficult for field teams to make quick operational decisions on-site and home in on new waves of discoveries. As global demand for critical minerals intensifies, advances at the intersection of space technology and geophysics are helping the exploration industry to become more data-driven and agile in a rapidly changing landscape, the company says.

Fleet brings together the benefits of satellite connectivity, remote geophysical data acquisition, and near real-time data processing to deliver actionable 3D models of the Earth’s subsurface for customers around the world, it says. With today’s announcement, Fleet has added several new features to its ExoSphere platform which include the Sensitivity Model, Data Processing Report, and Source Data Pack.

Customers can now access a Sensitivity Model (pictured above) to help them visualise and quantify confidence levels for every 3D model that is generated. This will provide customers with a relative indicator of the likely resolution and quality across different parts of the model, highlighting areas on a spectrum from higher to lower confidence. Ultimately, the Sensitivity Model will give customers an enhanced view into the confidence levels about potential subsurface findings in addition to areas of the model that would benefit from further surveying.

Featuring 14 technical charts, data processing parameters, and an explanatory narrative, the Data Processing Report is designed to give customers enhanced insight about the ambient noise conditions of the survey, data quality, and the steps taken to generate their 3D model.

Edge-processed data from the passive seismic sensors, called Geodes, used within a customer’s survey area will be downloadable on-demand from the ExoSphere platform as a Source Data Pack. This will enable customers to re-process the data using different geophysical tools or update their existing 3D velocity model with additional insights they unlock as part of their exploration efforts in the future.

Hemant Chaurasia, Chief Product Officer at Fleet, added: “Space-enabled technologies in the field today will profoundly shape the future of mineral exploration. With over 150 EXOSPHERE surveys completed across five continents, it’s clear that near-real time access to 3D velocity models, combined with these new EXOSPHERE features announced today, are unlocking new data-driven approaches that reduce the time, resources, and trial-and-error needed to build valuable subsurface insight and accelerate mineral discovery. This will be critical for the mineral exploration industry as we work towards the renewable energy future that our world so desperately needs.”

Nevada Gold Mines kicks off construction of 200 MWAC TS Solar Facility

Environmental, Mine operation news, Mining services, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , ,

Nevada Gold Mines (NGM) says it is building a 200 MWAC (Megawatt, alternating current) photovoltaic solar facility to accelerate its decarbonisation program in line with Barrick’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Roadmap.

NGM, majority owned and operated by Barrick Gold Corporation, hosted a celebratory groundbreaking ceremony this week, marking the commencement of construction of its TS Solar Facility. The facility is adjacent to NGM’s TS Power Plant near Dunphy, Nevada.

The solar array will be constructed in a single phase with commercial production expected in the June quarter of 2024.

NGM is partnering with three Nevada-based contractors to complete the civil, solar substation and mechanical construction. Domestically-sourced steel piles are arriving on site in preparation for module foundation construction and tracker installation. At peak, the project is expected to employ approximately 250 people.

NGM Executive Managing Director, Peter Richardson, said: “At NGM, we embed the principles of partnership and sustainability into every decision we make. We continually seek opportunities to source materials and labour as close to our projects as possible. The TS Solar Facility is a great example of how we can partner with local resources on a project that not only benefits the environment, but also provides sustainable long-term social and economic benefits.”

Upon completion, the project will supply renewable energy to NGM’s operations and realise 254,000 t of CO2-equivalent emissions reduction per year, according to NGM. This will result in an 8% emission reduction from the company’s 2018 baseline.

NGM has committed to a 20% carbon reduction by 2025, which will be achieved through the TS Solar facility and the modification of NGM’s TS Power Plant, providing the ability to use cleaner burning natural gas as a fuel source.

Barrick is targeting an overall 30% reduction in emissions by 2030 with the goal of achieving net-zero by 2050.

Chrysos Corp adds Britannia Mining, Kibali to PhotonAssay customer base

Mineral exploration, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Chrysos Corp continues to expand the reach of its PhotonAssay™ technology, with the company set to provide new units to Britannia Mining Solutions, Intertek and Barrick Gold’s Kibali gold mine.

This brings the total number of deployed or contractually committed units to 38, up from the previous total of 33 units, with the new lease contracts increasing Chrysos’ total contract value by A$108.6 million to A$559.8 million ($386.8 million).

Two five-year leases (with five-year renewal options) have been signed with new customer Canada-based Britannia Life Sciences to deploy PhotonAssay units across its newly formed North American subsidiary, Britannia Mining Solutions. The contract specifies the deployment of an initial two PhotonAssay units while providing the opportunity for further expansion of the agreement in the future.

Two other new lease contracts highlight Chrysos’ growing relationship with international testing, inspection and certification company, Intertek (ITK). The association, which started with the installation in 2021 of two PhotonAssay units at ITK’s Minerals Global Centre of Excellence in Perth, Western Australia, has since expanded to include another already-operating unit in Perth and the upcoming deployment of two new units on a five-year plus five-year-option contract basis for the ITK business in Ghana.

Chrysos says one recently commissioned PhotonAssay unit is now operating in Val d’Or, Canada, with MSALABS, and another unit is now fully operational in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, with ALS, it added.

Furthermore, Barrick Gold is expanding its adoption of PhotonAssay technology, with one of MSALABS’ already-committed PhotonAssay units to be deployed to Barrick’s Kibali gold mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Barrick, in partnership with MSALABS Ltd, installed a Chrysos PhotonAssay laboratory at the Bulyanhulu mine in Tanzania last year.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dirk Treasure, said: “This is an exciting time for our business as we continue to execute our expansion plans and focus on key international mining hubs.

“With increasing demand, a strong pipeline of blue-chip customers and our global market penetration continuing at pace, we feel the business is well positioned to meet its ongoing strategic and operational objectives.”

PhotonAssay, Chrysos says, delivers faster, safer and more accurate analysis of gold, silver and complementary elements by non-destructive measurement of larger and more representative samples in as little as two minutes, enabling rapid turnaround of critical operational information that drives optimisation throughout the mining value chain.

The system, originally developed at Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, provides an environmentally friendly, chemical-free, more sustainable replacement for traditional fire assay methods, significantly reducing CO2 emissions and hazardous waste.

Chrysos went public on the Australian Securities Exchange earlier this month following a successful, fully underwritten IPO, raising A$183.5 million at A$6.50 per share.