Tag Archives: Liberia

ArcelorMittal to expand iron ore mining and logistics operations in Liberia

Comminution of minerals, Mine operation news, Mineral project development, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , ,

The Government of the Republic of Liberia and ArcelorMittal have signed an amendment to the Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) which paves the way for the expansion of the steel major’s mining and logistics operations in Liberia.

With the MDA amendment coming into effect, ArcelorMittal Liberia will significantly ramp up production of premium iron ore, generating significant new jobs and wider economic benefits for Liberia, it said.

The expansion project – which encompasses processing, rail and port facilities – will be one of the largest mining projects in West Africa. The capital required to finalise the project is expected to be approximately $800 million, as it is effectively a brownfield expansion.

The expansion project includes the construction of a new concentration plant and the substantial expansion of mining operations, with the first concentrate expected in late 2023, ramping up to 15 Mt/y. Under the agreement, the company will have reservation for expansion for at least up to 30 Mt/y. Other users may be allowed to invest for additional rail capacity, it said.

As the largest foreign investor in Liberia, ArcelorMittal Liberia says it has invested over $1.7 billion in the country over the past 15 years.

More than 2,000 jobs are expected to be created during the construction phase, with Liberians envisaged to fill the majority of the roles created, the company said.

ArcelorMittal operates a Vocational Training Centre and provides two-year residential certificate training in mechanical and electrical trades. As part of the expansion, ArcelorMittal Liberia has also launched a training and development program for high potential Liberian employees who will gain on the job experience and knowledge in ArcelorMittal Mining operations globally.

The employees will receive advanced training in the fields of mining production and operation optimisation, plant maintenance, planning and execution, plant electrical operation systems and electrical maintenance. Other training areas include plant fitting and heavy-duty mobile equipment maintenance, as well as mine production and operations.

Lakshmi Mittal, Executive Chairman, ArcelorMittal, said: “The expansion of mine, processing, rail and port facilities is the largest iron ore project in West Africa and will draw international attention to Liberia as an attractive country to invest in. The current planned expansion is part of a long-term commitment by ArcelorMittal to Liberia that includes undertaking planning for the further expansion of our iron ore asset to at least 30 Mt per annum.”

Avesoro enlists CSA Global for Youga gold mine turnaround

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

Avesoro Resources says it is expecting a “material improvement” in grade and production at its Youga gold mine, in Burkina Faso, after implementing mining and grade control recommendations from consultant CSA Global to stem an output drop that saw production fall 19% quarter-on-quarter in the three months ending June 30.

The mine’s output was affected not only by falling grades in the June quarter, but also a stoppage in mining activities during June, which followed a transition to contractor mining.

In the three-month period, total material movement was 4.44 Mt, 7% lower than the previous quarter. Waste mined also dropped 6% in this period to 4.23 Mt, while ore mined decreased 27% to 214,000 t, resulting in a waste to ore stripping ratio of 19.8:1.

Avesoro said: “During the period, mining focused predominantly on the Gassore pit adjacent to the Youga process plant, where mined grades continued to be below forecast. Following a review of both grade control and mining practices, undertaken by CSA Global, the company made the decision to bolster its on-site technical team by hiring of additional technical staff to manage mining production and grade control.”

Serhan Umurhan, CEO of Avesoro, said he was confident the company would see a “material improvement in the situation as a result”.

Due to the temporary stoppage in mining activities in June, some emergency low-grade ore stockpiles were blended into the plant feed during June, reducing overall June quarter run of mill grade to 1.59 g/t Au, a quarter-on-quarter reduction of 23%. An increase in plant throughput of 4% to 332,000 t during the period helped to offset the grade impact, however gold production fell 19% to 15,516 oz.

Avesoro’s New Liberty gold mine, in Liberia, meanwhile saw production drop 27% to 18,822 oz in the quarter.

The company put this down to a number of staff in the mining and heavy mining equipment maintenance teams resigning during April, which led to a drop in mining productivity during this month and early May. Total material movement dropped, which had a knock-on effect to mine ore grade and mill feed grade.

Despite the company only recording 34,338 oz of gold production from the two mines in the quarter – bringing first half output to 79,435 oz – Avesoro reiterated its revised production guidance of 180,000-200,000 oz of gold for 2019.

Umurhan said: “With the operational aspects of the transition to contractor mining at both Youga and New Liberty now in place, I am confident that the challenges experienced during Q2 (June quarter) have been overcome and that total material movement and gold production will increase in the second half of the year.”