Randgold CEO Mark Bristow
Photo by: Duane Daws
JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Following the successful commissioning of the integrated automated ore handling and hoisting system of the underground operation at Kibali, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Randgold Resources is preparing to bring the mine into full production this year.
In an update to shareholders on Tuesday, CEO Mark Bristow said 700 000 oz of gold would be produced this year, some eight years and $2.5-billion in capital expenditure later.
“All that now still remains to be done is to ramp up the underground production and complete the construction of Azambi, Kibali’s third new hydropower station, which is scheduled to be plugged into the grid by the middle of this year,” he said.
During the past quarter, Randgold completed the underground haulage and hoisting system, settled the processing challenges and improved the recovery, while keeping throughput above the plant’s nameplate design level.
Further, the mine’s conversion to the latest environmental standard was successfully certified and it readied itself for alignment with the new, and yet to be published, safety standards, Bristow said.