Mining firm AngloGold has announced plans to resume underground operations at its Obuasi gold mine by the middle of October.
A statement issued by the mining giant on Thursday said for the remainder of this year, underground ore will be used only to replenish the Run-of-Mine stockpile.
The statement said gold production from its underground ore sources will however resume in January 2022.
The safe ramp up to the full mining rate of 4,000 tons per day is expected to be achieved by the end of the first half of 2022,” the statement said.
The mining firm says it expects production of 240,000-260,000 ounces of gold for 2022 as the mine ramps up production.
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This will increase to 320,000-350,000 ounces a year from the fourth quarter of 2022 until the completion of the third phase of the project to re-develop Obuasi in the fourth quarter of 2023. Afterwards, between 2024 and 2028, production is anticipated to average between 400,000 and 450,000 ounces.
Mining operations were first suspended on May 18, 2021, following the disappearance of a miner after an underground accident.
The miner who was an employee of a mining contractor that works with AngloGold was found dead on May 29, 2021.
Underground mining operations at Obuasi had been suspended since that accident.
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