Vatukoula Gold Mines Limited has invested over $40 million to allow workers to dig deeper and further away from the existing infrastructure.
“The richest parts which are closest to surface have been mined out in the last 18 years,” Dinny Laufenboeck, the company’s Corporate Services Manager and Special Advisor to the General Manager said.
“So we have to go deeper and further away from the existing infrastructure.”
“That is a huge cost and while doing all this we have to keep the mine dry by pumping water out, have it ventilated and provide lighting.”
The areas that have been producing the best ore and veins have diminished.
Over the past 75 years, the mine has produced over seven million ounces of gold.
“I keep stressing this is an old gold mine and everybody knows that,” Ms Laufenboeck said.
Gold was reportedly discovered in Vatukoula in 1932 or 85 years ago from November 2017.
A man by the name of Bill Borthwick discovered gold with work actually being done to build the gold mines starting from 1935 to 1936.
Now, Zhongrun International Mining, a Chinese company with controlling shareholders, took over in 2014 and prioritised cutting expenditure and improving efficiency as the major work to be done.
Perhaps one of their major costs is the continuing pumping of water out of the mines because before they can start mining they have to pump the water out.
Dinny Laufenboeck said: “they recognised the cost involved and had to decide to either walk away from it or bite the bullet and develop more to reduce costs.”
Here’s What They Have Done:
The new $30 million power house has already been built and is being tested.
A new ventilation and hoisting shaft, which is to cost around $10 million is being done at an area called Dolphin at the old Wren Shaft. The idea is to sink a new shaft which would improve working conditions with better ventilation and open up new areas in Philip’s Shaft.
The upgrading of the Vatukoula Treatment Plant and Trailings Retreatment.
The company has also installed four state of the art air quality monitoring stations valued at approximately $120,000 around Vatukoula to monitor all emissions. They are regarded as the most advanced available in Fiji.
The investment in new pumps for the de-watering of underground operations.
A joint venture with a Canadian based exploration company.
The training of local miners in steep structure mining by Chinese experts.
