Huge Harmony Gold Project About To Get Underway
Harmony Gold’s
Adam Wright, General Manager and Community Relations representative of Harmony Gold and developer of the project, told Pacific Magazine during a recent tour of the mine site that estimated operating costs are A$1.3 billion.
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The company plans to spend a total of A$12 million annually when it starts a Tax Credit Scheme in 2012 over a projected mine life of 20 years.
Harmony produced 1.55 million ounces of gold in financial year 2008 and expects to produce about 1.7 million ounces in financial 2009. Currently, Wright said, progress toward production is well underway with the completion of Hamata and Kaveroi resource drilling, completion of aptitude testing with simulator, mining fleets commissioned; tailings storage facility, accommodation camp and workshop buildings commissioned.
Wright says the company is expected to create employment opportunities for up to 830 to 900 people, of which 650 employees will be with Harmony while 250 will be contractors. The work force will be comprised of 75 percent Morobe based, 50 percent landowners and 92 percent PNG nationals.
Wright said the company is mindful of the huge project’s environmental impacts and has taken up environmental stewardship program with all regulatory permitting completed under the new Environmental Protection Act (2000).
“Also consistent with ISO14001, the World Bank Equator Principles, and the International Cyanide Management Code (ICMC), the company has initiated environmental management plan focused on water quality (meeting waste dump and tailings storage facility discharge criteria). The company is working closely with landowner association and government to keep local communities informed,” he said.
With the company’s social responsibilities, Wright said it is currently undertaking major upgrading work on its police station and health centers. It is also supporting an HIV/AIDS Voluntary Council Testing Clinic, which is developing awareness programs in nearby schools and communities.
Meanwhile, the company expects its
At full production the mine will produce 285,000 ounces of gold and 3.84 million ounces of silver amounting to 60,000 gold equivalent ounces over a life of mine over 10 years.
