Akyem Gold Mine In Ghana ( Methods Of Gold Mining Akyem Mine )

Akyem gold mine in Ghana is located in the Birim North District of the Eastern Region, approximately 111 miles northwest of the capital city of Accra Ghana which is a region of west African gold mine. Akyem gold mine is wholly-owned and operated by Newmont Mining Corporation. That obtained the mining lease for Akyem mine in 2010 and commercial production at its Ghana Akyem gold mine in 2013. It is Newmont's second mining operation in Ghana after the Ahafo gold mine Africa in Brong Ahafo Region.

The mine site in Akyem covers a total area of 1,903ha of which, 74ha lies in the Ajenjua Bepo Forest Reserve, Newmont company employs 1,300 workers in Akyem gold mine and mostly recruited workers from the community of the area around the mining area Akyem

Mineral Deposit In Akyem Gold Mine

The Akyem mineral deposit is on the northern portion of the East Ashanti belt that adjoins the better known and exploited Ashanti belt that hosts several existing mining operations.  The gold deposit lies within a major shear zone developed along a gradational contact between Birimian metasedimentary rocks and mafic metavolcanic rocks on the northern portion of the gold-bearing East Ashanti Belt in Ghana. Shearing and alteration are best developed in mafic metavolcanic rocks and quartz wacke in contact with graphitic argillite.

The deposit is estimated to contain 7.4million ounces (moz) of proven and probable gold reserves as of December 2012." The estimated mine life of the Akyem open-pit is 16 years. The annual average gold production during the initial five years is expected to be 450,000 ounces (oz)

Methods Of Gold Mining Akyem Mine

The Akyem mining methods is operations open-pit mine,  The open-pit mining operation in Akyem employs drilling and blasting techniques for mineral ore extraction,   in two lobes occupying a total area of 139ha

Mineral ore extracted is then loaded into haul trucks using shovel and backhoe. High grade ore mineral content is transported to the processing plant, where Newmont has built a processing site on a land of 85ha within the mine site

For waste rock is transported by haul roads to select disposal areas in the open-pit.

Process Of Gold Mining Akyem In Ghana

The Akyem gold processing plant has the capacity to treat 8.8million tonnes of ore mineral a year, including both run-of-mine (ROM) primary ore and oxide ore.

The processing facilities at the plant include primary and secondary crushers, a semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) mill, hydrocyclones, a ball mill, leach-feed thickening tanks, a Carbon-in-Leach (CIL) circuit, a cyanide recovery circuit, carbon recovery systems, and a refining facility to produce gold.

The essential chemicals and reagents for gold processing used by the mineral ore processing facility include lime, sodium cyanide, caustic, hydrochloric acid, activated carbon, hydrogen peroxide, and flocculants. Tailings from the processing plant are transported to the nearby tailings storage facility via an above ground pipe placed in a high-density polyethylene lined trench.

In Akyem mines there are also additional facilities

• The mine complex includes a waste management plant to handle waste, including llubricants, diesel fuel, oily water, sewage, solid waste, explosives, chemicals, containers and drums, as well as medical waste.
• A 2.29million m3 water storage facility covering 56ha was constructed between the processing plant and the tailings storage facility.
• Five sediment control structures at the complex collect sediment and runoff from upstream construction and mining activity sites. A surface water diversion system was also constructed to arrest and redirect natural run-on water flowing into the mine pit, tailings storage facility, waste rock disposal facility, and the ore stockpiles.
• A general and mine administration building is built adjacent to the processing plant.
• Power is supplied by a 34.5kV overhead line system that connects Nkawkaw and Kwae passing through the mining area.

Gold Production Akyem Mine

Akyem achieved another major milestone when it successfully poured its first gold bar on 14 th October 2013. Commercial production achieved in line with original expectations in last quarter of 2013
   
First five year average annual gold production of 350,000 to 450,000 ounces, all-in sustaining costs of $750 to $850 per ounce; and 2013 attributable gold production outlook of 50,000 to 100,000 ounces. Akyem is a core asset that will deliver profitable gold production at competitive costs.