Production is set to be fast tracked at the new Bibiani Gold mine in Ghana. Asante Gold Corp announced that the early works on the EPCM contract has been initiated.
The move foreshadows a long-awaited restart for the mine, which has had a stop-start history and was suspended in 2013, the year then-owner Noble Mineral Resources collapsed. Australia-headquartered Resolute Mining picked up Bibiani through a scheme of arrangement in 2014 but kept the project on care and maintenance while it prepared a feasibility study into a restart.
Strategic review
It then announced a strategic review and planned sale to China’s Chifeng Jilong Gold – which fell through earlier this year after Ghana temporarily terminated Bibiani’s mining lease. Asante acquired Bibiani from Resolute last month in a US$90 million deal. Asante said the mill refurbishment was expected to employ up to 300 people and finish in June 2022.
“Asante looks forward to working with Harlequin and all of our project partners, towards a safe and successful project execution,” president and CEO Douglas MacQuarrie said.
Design and planning initiatives for other aspects of the Bibiani mine development project continued to advance. The company said it had added to its operations management team, appointing the former processing manager for the Chirano, Nzema, and Asanko-Goldfields Nkran gold mines Walter Agbey as metallurgical manager.
