Iduapriem Gold Mine

The Iduapriem Gold Mine (French: Mine d'or d'Iduapriem) 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.[1][2] AngloGold Ashanti originally only owned 85% of the mine but acquired the remaining 15% in September 2007.[3]

Iduapriem
Location
Iduapriem Gold Mine is located in Ghana
Iduapriem Gold Mine
Iduapriem Gold Mine
Location in Ghana
LocationTarkwa
RegionWestern Region
CountryGhana
Coordinates05°18′N 001°59′W
Production
Production190,000
Financial year2009
Owner
CompanyAngloGold Ashanti
WebsiteAngloGold Ashanti website
Year of acquisition2004

In 2008, AngloGold Ashanti's Ghana operations, consisting of Iduapriem and the Obuasi 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.[3]

In 2009, the mine employed 1,447 people.[1] The mine has been fatality-free since 1999.[3]

Environmental impact

The mine and its owners have been criticised in the past for the loss of land for local farmers, the pollution and drying-up of local rivers and watersources and the lack of action to combat these issues.[4][5]

Mining at Iduapriem was suspended for a time in early 2010 to allow for the construction of a temporary tailings storage facility at the mine.[6] The operators were told by the Environmental Protection Agency of Ghana to suspend operations over "potentially adverse environmental impacts arising from the current tailings storage facility".[7][8]

Mine ownership

Majority-owned by the Ashanti Goldfields Corporation from 2000 onwards, ownership of this 85% share of the operation was transferred to AngloGold Ashanti with the merger of Ashanti and AngloGold in 2004. The new company owned an 80% share of Iduapriem, with the remaining 20% held by the International Finance Corporation, and a 90% share of Teberebie, with the Government of Ghana holding the remainder. Combined, this accumulated to an 85% share for AngloGold Ashanti in the whole operation.[9] In September 2007, the company acquired the remaining 15% as well.

Production
Geologic map of the Tarkwa gold district in Ghana showing significant folding and faulting[10][11]

Production figures of the recent past were:

Year Production Grade Cost per ounce
2002 [12] 185,199 ounces 1.66 g/t US$ 232
2003 [12] 243,533 ounces 1.75 g/t US$240
2004 [13] 147,000 ounces 1.72 g/t US$303
2005 [13] 205,000 ounces 1.71 g/t US$348
2006 [9] 196,000 ounces 1.74 g/t US$368
2007 [1] 185,000 ounces 1.85 g/t US$373
2008 [1] 200,000 ounces 1.76 g/t US$525
2009 [1] 190,000 ounces 1.72 g/t US$516
2010
  • The 2004 results are for the eight month from May to December only.

See also

References
  1. Annual Report 2009 Archived 2011-09-12 at the Wayback Machine AngloGold Ashanti website, accessed: 9 August 2010
  2. Ashanti Goldfields Company Limited announces acquisition of Pioneer Goldfields Limited AngloGold Ashanti website, published: 12 May 2000, accessed: 10 August 2010
  3. Country report: Ghana - Iduapriem AngloGold Ashanti website, accessed: 10 August 2010
  4. The Impact of the Iduapriem Goldmine in Ghana Archived 2011-07-26 at the Wayback Machine face-it-act-now.org, accessed: 10 August 2010
  5. Ghana: Iduapriem gold mine pollutes water and cuts off farmers from their lands Food First Information and Action Network, published: 15 April 2008, accessed: 10 August 2010
  6. AngloGold to resume production at Iduapriem in April miningweekly.com, published: 30 March 2010, accessed: 10 August 2010
  7. AngloGold suspends Iduapriem mine miningmx.com, published: 19 February 2010, accessed: 10 August 2010
  8. EPA orders Iduapriem Mine to stop using tailings storage facility ghanaweb.com, accessed: 10 August 2010
  9. Annual Report 2006 Archived 2011-07-07 at the Wayback Machine AngloGold Ashanti website, accessed: 9 August 2010
  10. Wright, J.B.; Hastings, D.A.; Jones, W.B.; Williams, H.R. (1985). Wright, J.B. (ed.). Geology and Mineral Resources of West Africa. London: George Allen & UNWIN. pp. 45–47. ISBN 9780045560011.
  11. Taylor, Ryan; Anderson, Eric (2018). Quartz-Pebble-Conglomerate Gold Deposits, Chapter P of Mineral Deposit Models for Resource Assessment, USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2010-5070-P (PDF). Reston: US Dept. of the Interior, USGS. p. 9.
  12. Ashanti Annual Report 2003 Archived 2006-10-24 at the Wayback Machine accessed: 10 August 2010
  13. Annual Report 2005 Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine AngloGold Ashanti website, accessed: 9 August 2010
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