Ghana – originally and appropriately named The Gold Coast – has traditionally been seen as the gold hub of West Africa, but recent years have seen a huge boom in gold exploration and production in many other West African states.
Developing FLSmidth Knelson® Concentrators’ presence
Since the early 2000’s GCA has been heavily involved in supporting FLSmidth Knelson® Concentrators in West Africa, which is home to over 100 of the gravity concentration machines, spread throughout Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Cameroon and Liberia.
In the past few years particularly, West Africa has seen huge investments in gold mining, with several projects coming on line almost simultaneously in late 2017, and the commissioning and support staff of GCA has been racking up airmiles and adding to its tally of happy customers. In the last three months GCA has commissioned four FLSmidth Knelson Concentrators on three greenfields gold projects:
- Burkina Faso (Endeavour Hounde Mine)
- Senegal (Toro Mako Mine)
- Cote d’Ivoire (Perseus Sissingue Mine)
More mineral recovery to come
Entering into 2018, GCA has seven gold projects awaiting completion in West Africa, with total of 15 gravity gold concentrators to be commissioned across the area within the next six to nine months.
Senegal
GCA will commission three KC-QS40 FLSmidth Knelson Concentrators, a CS2000 Consep Acacia Reactor (used for intense cyanide leaching of the primary gold concentrate) and an electrowinning module at Sored Mine in Yoff, Senegal.
Guinea
Two larger KC-QS48 Knelson Concentrators await installation at Siguiri Gold Mine near the city of Siguiri, Guinea, to add to 2 KC-XD48 machines already in operation at the mine
Côte d’Ivoire
Two KC-QS48 Concentrators will also come on line at Endeavour Mining’s Ity Mine, roughly 480 km northwest of Abidjan.
Burkina Faso
GCA will commission two KC-QS30 Knelson Concentrators and a CS2000 Acacia Reactor at the Natougou Gold Project in Burkina Faso, which is nearing completion of construction.
Ghana
Goldfields’ Tarkwa Gold Mine will retrofit three KC-QS48 FLSmidth Knelson Concentrators to its milling circuit after identifying gravity recoverable gold in current plant tails. The mine will also be installing a CS6000 Consep Acacia Reactor for intensive leaching of Knelson concentrate.
Asanko Gold in Ghana has purchased a KC-QS48 to add to its existing gold recovery equipment which already comprises 2 KC-QS48 concentrators that account for over half of the mine’s gold production.
GCA will also be involved in commissioning assistance for two KC-QS48 concentrators at BSD mine in Ghana.
As an organisation that prides itself in client satisfaction, GCA looks forward to these projects with great anticipation, and relishes the opportunity to be a significant part of gold production in such an abundant and rich region of Africa.
GCA operates throughout Africa, and has assisted with projects from Dakar to Djibouti and Cape town to Cairo. For more information on the mining (and industrial) products and services GCA provides, please contact us.
