Modern Mining February 2015

MINING News

Kibali on course for steady state in 2018

McKechnie is an Honorary Research Fellow in the School of Electrical and Information Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand. These seminars are validated for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) by the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers (SAIEE) and attendees will earn one credit in the com- pulsory Category 1. Interested persons can contact INNOPRO on tel (+27 12) 663-4804, or by e-mail at learning@gafrica.com . Further information and registration forms are also available on the Innoprowebsite at www.innopro.co.za .  “As we’ve said from the start, we believe Kibali could be the engine that drives not just the transformation of its region but also the foundation for the development of a new mining frontier in north-east Congo to rival Katanga. One of our key objectives is to show the rest of the world that the country is a safe and attractive destination for new investment which is needed to develop its extensive mineral potential,” Bristow said.  new model town of Kokiza, the expan- sion of the local road network to 350 km, and Randgold’s ongoing support for the development of a robust local economy. Since the start of the project, Randgold has awarded business valued at more than US$650 million to Congolese-owned com- panies while its engagement with local co-operatives has created more than 400 non-mining jobs. “Our nurturing of Congolese contractors by providing them with capital, technical advice and an order base is enabling us to source many of our requirements locally, without compromising on price or quality,” Bristow said.“All road and civil construction related to our hydropower plants is being carried out by Congolese contractors, for example, and by the end of the year, we aim to have at least half of our trucking handled by local truckers.” Despite the size and complexity of the operation and the high level of activ- ity on site, Kibali is maintaining a good safety record, recently posting two million lost time injury free hours. The local inci- dence of malaria, which kills more people in Africa than any other disease, has been reduced by 55 % since the start of the pro­ ject in 2011.

A section of the twin-circuit (oxide and sulphide treatment and sulphide only treatment) metallurgical plant at Kibali. Both circuits are designed for 3,6 Mt/a. The plant has now been fully commissioned and is meeting design parameters (photo: Randgold Resources).

Following the successful completion of the first phase of its development, the Kibali gold mine is now well advanced into the second and final phase which will take it to full production by 2018, Randgold Resources Chief Executive Mark Bristow told a media briefing in Kinshasa recently. Randgold is developing and operating the mine, which it owns in partnership with AngloGold Ashanti and the Congolese parastatal SOKIMO. Bristow said with the final commission- ing of the metallurgical plant and the first of three hydropower plants, Kibali was now

rect and consequential impacts (including lost production and other effects). The appropriate application of effective light- ning safety and lightning protection strategies and solutions for infrastructure, industry and other sectors is therefore of critical importance.” The seminars will be presented by McKechnie and his colleague Ian Jandrell, who is a director of Innopro. Jandrell is also a Personal Professor, CBI-electric Professor of Lightning, and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment at the University of the Witwatersrand. operating at design with the ramp-up hav- ing delivered against plan. The priorities for the current year were to advance the development of the underground mine, which will complement the existing open- pit operations, ramp up annual production to 600 000 ounces, commission the sec- ond hydropower plant and start work on the third, and continue expanding and upgrading the local skills base. He noted that the past year had also seen the finalisation of the resettlement programme, including the completion of the Catholic Church complex in the

Seminar on lightning protection coming up Industry specialist consultants INNOPRO are presenting their updated one-day indus- try-briefing seminar on ‘Best Practices in Lightning Safety and Lightning Protection of Structures and Systems’ in Centurion (Gauteng, South Africa) on 27 March 2015. “Lightning safety and lightning protec- tion is a topic that is often misunderstood, with inappropriate management, strate- gies, techniques and methodologies being applied as a result,”says Ian McKechnie, MD of INNOPRO. “The consequential effects can be severe, both in terms of direct effects and injuries, and in respect of indi-

10  MODERN MINING  February 2015