Accra, Oct 18, GNA – Mining firm, BCM has said it is committed to building a quality portfolio of assets in the mining sector globally to create job opportunities for communities that it is operating in.
“The company’s strategy is to acquire and develop high-quality mines in Africa, while creating value for its shareholders, stakeholders and host communities”.
A statement copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on its operations said the company employed around 3,000 people, with 90 per cent local workers and 60 per cent local managers and was dedicated to operating responsibly and sustainably in Africa.
“Our first acquisition was Adamus Resources Limited, a gold mine in Ghana, in 2016. The company then expanded its presence in Mali by acquiring Segala Mining SA, a gold mine, in 2018. In 2019, the company bought 80 per cent of Samira Hill SA, a gold mine in Niger, from the government of Niger”.
The statement said the company also acquired Northern Ashanti Mines Co. Ltd., a gold mine in Ghana, in 2020 and had an advanced mine in Burkina Faso, which was expected to commence production by the end of 2023.
It said the company’s Adamus mine produced and sold around 250,000 ounces of gold per year, and the company planned to increase its production from its other mines.
It is about 300km from the capital city Accra and 80km from the port city Takoradi by road. The mine is owned by BCM Investments, which acquired it from Endeavour Mining in 2017.
The statement said its Mining operations started in November 2010 and commercial production in April 2011 and currently using conventional open pit mining method and they processed the ore by Carbon-in Leach (CIL) technology.
“Our processing plant can handle oxide, transition, and primary ores. The plant’s capacity depends on the ore hardness: 2.1 Mtpa for softer oxide ore and 1.6 Mtpa for harder transition and fresh ore. We have about 1,228 workers, mostly Ghanaians (99%) and locals (59%).
“The rocks that host gold deposits in Ghana are Palaeoproterozoic rocks of the West African Craton including the Birimian Supergroup, a series of meta-volcanic and meta-sedimentary rocks, the Tarkwaian Group, fluvial meta-sedimentary rocks, and various gabbroic to granitic intrusive.
Our Nzema Gold Project covers about 369.95km² in Southwest Ghana. It consists of 4 Mining Leases and 8 Prospecting Licenses with 2 JV Permits with a lot of exploration potential on these lands and we are looking for more economic gold deposits to extend our mine life. We also have a large resource of 973K oz @ 1.80g/t Au of untapped refractory Salman ‘sulphide’ ore. We are studying the best way to treat this ore”.
On the Segala Mining, a subsidiary of BCM Investments Limited, operating in Tabakoto, near Keniéba in southern Kayes region, the statement said it had acquired the mine from Endeavour Mining in 2018 with two permits: SEMICO and MIKO.
“SEMICO has one open-pit and two underground mines, while MIKO has two open-pit mines. BCM Investments owns 80 per cent of the share capital and Mali owns 20 per cent”.
GNA