AFTER 6 years and months of recommissioning to restart the Gold Ridge Mine in Central Guadalcanal, GRML is just days away from entering full production.
Despite of numerous challenges the company has successfully completed its recommissioning activities, and is now carrying out trial production runs.
Over the past days the Company’s Community Relations department has been issuing notices and carrying out awareness in catchment communities.
In another notice issued early this week, GRML says it will continue to carry out trial production runs on its processing plants and all piping segments to the TSF from Monday 29th August 2022 to Sunday 4th September 2022.
“These trial production runs are conducted with high pressure water with ores and chemicals gradually added to the system.
“Full production will follow on straight after this trial production period”, the notice stated.
GRML stated because during trial runs leakages are not unusual, it is important to inform communities for their safety.
“For your safety, please keep away from the high-pressure pipelines at ALL TIMES from 29th August 2022, during these trial runs, up to and onwards from Sunday 4th September 2022, when the company enters full production phase.
“We would strongly advise that all huts/houses built over or near the pipelines are dismantled immediately to allow for pipeline testing, monitoring and repair works. These huts should not be used now that the pipelines are active 24/7”, the notice added.
GRML’s spokesman Ben Afuga further explains: “While mechanical and engineering issues such as pipeline leakages and bursts are not unusual, it is important to inform communities to ensure the correct information is disseminated prior to the test runs so that communities knew what to expect during test runs.
“The test runs are part of trialing the entire system to increase confidence level and preparedness before full production commences”, Afuga said.
Afuga added: ‘To assure the SIG, authorities and catchment communities, as soon as leakages are detected, we will shut down the flotation plant and deploy our engineering team to inspect and conduct repairing.
“At the same time, our environment team with assistance of the Independent Environment Auditor will also be on standby to take samples for testing in the event leakages are detected”, Afuga explains.
Gold Ridge Mining Limited the country’s first gold mine was abandoned in April 2014 after the flash flooding which sent former operator St Barbara packing and left. St, Barbara came back in 2015 and sold GRML to local landowners’ company, Gold Ridge Community and Investment Limited [GCIL].
The current ownership of the Gold Ridge Mine consists of three partners. Wanguo [77.8%], AXF [22.22%] and GCIL [10.0%].
‘This ownership structure with Landowners having equity in the project and representation on the GRML Board means that the company and its investors are aligned in ensuring that the growth and profit potential of the mine is optimized for the long-term benefit if investors [which includes landowners and their communities] as well as the province and nation.
“Landowners will derive future long-term benefits through royalties, dividends, jobs, small business, social infrastructure and community and economic development”, Afuga added.
Meanwhile GRML Chairman and CEO Mr. Mingqing Gao said: “The scale of the project is positioned at an annual processing capacity of 3million tons of ore dressing, and the design and construction are carried out according to the Golder Associates feasibility study report”, the GRML boss stated.
“The project has gone through many difficulties but the shareholder’s resilience has brought the project this far. We have gone through many difficulties and challenges including COVID-19 but we are resilient and fortunate to have overcome the impact of the pandemic.
“The good news now is our full production is expected to start soon, and this is attributed to this resilience”, Mr. Gao said.
Mr. Gao further attributed his gratitude to the national Government [stakeholder Ministries], provincial Government, Landowner Associations, Chiefs, communities and others who have a hand in the project.
“Without everyone’s input and support, we wouldn’t have reached the production phase”, Mr. Gao said.
