Business Enquirer Issue 118 | AngloGold Ashanti Ghana | Oct'23

GLOBAL GOLD MINING COMPANY LAUNCHES PROGRAM FOR LONGEVITY

ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI GHANA

DIRECTED BY: GARY SMITH ARTICLE

WRITTEN BY: LAURA WATLING

GLOBAL GOLD MINING COMPANY LAUNCHES PROGRAM FOR LONGEVITY

AngloGold Ashanti, which has a geographical diverse portfolio of gold mining assets, has recently launched its ten-year socio-economic development plan (SEDP) for its Obuasi mine.

ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI GHANA PROJECT

The plan demonstrates the business’ clear strategy to ensure the Obuasi mine and its host communities reap sustained benefits from the mining activities of AngloGold Ashanti in the region.

The SEDP articulates the social investment strategy for Obuasi mine for the period until 2031. The ten-year plan will focus on three intermediate outcomes: improved social development; a diversified and sustained local economy; and improved partnerships.

Underpinning the key outcomes, AngloGold Ashanti will make efforts

in quality health services, education, skills development, access to water, sanitation, and hygiene, community infrastructure, industrialisation, agriculture, and business development and entrepreneurship.

To further improve access to quality health services, AngloGold Ashanti have entered a four-year partnership with the German Development Implementing Agency in Ghana, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

The focus of this agreement is on community health programmes and

building capacity, equipment, and screening activities. AngloGold Ashanti Ghana has already expanded and rehabilitated the Anyinam Clinic into a sub-district health centre to provide primary healthcare to surrounding areas. In addition, the business is working alongside the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Foundation and Ghana Education Service to distribute 34,000 copies of numeracy and literacy books to all public basic schools in Obuasi.

In addition, it has identified the Sanso Community as a beneficiary project, and by November 2023 will complete the build of a nine-unit classroom block with WASH, ICT, and other ancillary facilities.

Vocational and trade-based training is a critical component of AngloGold Ashanti’s SEDP’s educational interventions. With this in mind, the business is implementing apprenticeship training in automechanics, auto-electricals, welding, and fabrication for young people in the Obuasi community.

From a sanitation and hygiene perspective, the organisation’s SEDP will focus on providing potable water to the communities in which it works.

Since the SEDPs launch in August 2022, AngloGold Ashanti Ghana has provided water systems to four communities with plans for five more communities in 2023. Working alongside the Environmental Protection Agency, traditional authorities, and local government, the mining business has established the “Keep Obuasi Clean” campaign. The campaign promotes hygiene with a monthly cleanup exercise, with similar programmes being run in schools where pupils will serve as ambassadors to ensure longevity of the initiative.

“All the SEDP interventions are approached with due regard for equity, diversity, and inclusion, which are integral to the process, making provision to support women, youth and physically challenged community members,” says the program report1

1 https://reports.anglogoldashanti.com/22/sr/ our-stories/obuasi-10year-sedp/

Our Value proposition in the mining industry means optimized water and salt management while enabling productivity gains by establishing circular economies.

Veolia innovates to ensure that the water discharged complies with environmental standards.

www.veolia.com.gh

that are both useful and practical for water, waste, and energy management.

VEOLIA, Ecological Transformation in Mining

Veolia is the world leader in environmental solutions for the mining and metals market including water, wastewater, industrial cleaning, water management, resource recovery, and energy services. Veolia is present in all 6 continents with almost one(1) billion revenue in the mining and metals sector representing a global market share of almost 8%. We work with more than 100 mining sites worldwide and while we operate at the highest level of health & safety, we help mining companies reconcile business productivity and environmental sustainability from:

• Managing wastewater and residues;

• Optimizing industrial waste management;

• Recovering industrial by-products;

• Decarbonizing the activities of the mine.

We go beyond our portfolio of service offer and design fit-for-purpose sustainable services in accordance with industry needs. A current priority is to grow long-term water management service contracts with the mining industry and develop our activities in waste and hazardous waste management at mines, including mercury or other residues without creating an environmental legacy at the site. Veolia also began to work with mines to identify sustainable energy alternatives, such as biomass towards improved carbon footprint ambitions. At the Veolia Group level, our commitment is to achieve 15 million metric tons of CO2 eq. in emissions avoided by 2023.

When we focus on West Africa, there is a positive water balance for most mines, unlike other regions where there is a water deficit. What this means for miners is that they must remove contaminants from the water before releasing it into the environment, in compliance with the EPA regulations. Veolia is addressing these challenges in Ghana for instance, where our industrial services are mostly directed to mines and relate to water and salt management.

Our Partnership with AngloGold Ashanti in Ghana

In 2019, Veolia signed a contract with AngloGold Ashanti to operate and maintain their water treatment plants at the Obuasi mine, while the project was still on care and maintenance. Now that mining has resumed and production is aiming to increase, we have 110 people working on 24/7 rotation shifts. We have two main tasks: The first is to operate four mining effluent treatment plants to ensure that the excess water discharged complies with environmental standards, and the second is to operate two drinking water plants that deliver water to the site accommodation and the surrounding community infrastructures. We were also engaged in a feasibility study and tasked with providing a comprehensive assessment of the water management process, including checking 35 waste rings and measuring the impact of the mine on local water quality and the environment more broadly.

As such, we looked at options to reduce the salinity and deconcentrate the water to make sure that mining over the next few decades will not limit the water supply. We piloted a Multiflo™ sludge-clarifier technology which offers an efficient process for the removal of TSS, Colour, Algae, and heavy metal co-precipitates in wastewater, as well as the Brine Deconcentration technology which converts the super saturated salts of Reverse Osmosis process reject into useful by-products of Gypsum and Magnesium Hydroxide.

Meeting the Needs of Our Partner

The mining industry consistently faces the challenge of Increasingly scarce resources and environmental responsibility. As the grade and quality of deposits decline, the mining industry is forced to use more resources to extract the same amount of ore. Water, energy, and waste management combine to form a significant expense line for mines, which are often located in remote areas and where the waste generated is potentially hazardous.

In addition, stricter environmental regulations and increased public pressure make it difficult for mining companies to maintain their operating permits. They need to develop strategies to limit their exposure to risks and implement best practices to cut clean-up costs. It is also by reducing the impact of mining on land and the environment, and by improving cooperation with local communities, that mining industries can ensure sustainable acceptability and therefore the productivity of their business. As such:

• We improve productivity by treating water for production process requirements;

• We manage environmental risks by treating contaminated water to achieve water quality suitable for reuse or safe discharge into the environment;

• We seek to add value to the bottom line by treating sludge streams to recover suspended and dissolved constituents;

• We secure high-quality drinking water, even at remote mining sites;

• We have robust and reliable equipment requiring minimal unplanned maintenance;

• We cope with production peaks while complying with stringent regulations;

• We guarantee long-term efficiency and cost control through operations services.

Our solutions to combine productivity and responsibility

Thanks to our understanding of the unique requirements of mine operations and our worldwide expertise in mine water issues, we focus on system performance, environmental requirements, and long-term cost-effectiveness to meet the demanding reliability, safety, and quality standards of the mining industry.

We Deliver Value in Many Ways

• Improving operational cost-efficiency;

• Improving yield to support competitiveness;

• Securing the license to operate;

• Responsibly planning for Closure.

Benefits to the Mine

• Circular economy from the mine effluent with by-products recovery at various stages of the process. This mitigates the environmental risks as well as generates long-term local jobs for the surrounding communities and brings the potential to valorize all by-products on-site or with local third parties;

• Significant reduction of contaminated solids to be stored in tailing dams or stack pilled reducing the environmental legacy of the site;

• Salt deconcentration across the whole hydraulic scheme, leading to reduced operational costs, whilst improving infrastructure availability and water recovery.

Continuous implementation of the tenyear plan is aligned with the business sustainability performance of Ghana’s Obusai mine, with the aim to establish sustainable businesses that support livelihoods long after the life of the mine.

Redevelopment at Obuasi

Established in South Africa (where it is still headquartered) in 1998, AngloGold Ashanti is one of the largest global gold mining companies.

The business, which remains an independent gold producer, with no dominant investor and a diverse spread of shareholders, has assets in Africa, America and Australia. At the close of 2022, the business announced a total gold mineral resource of 131.4Moz, including a 30.4Moz Mineral Reserve.

The firm's Obuasi mine, which is located in Ghana’s Ashanti region, started operating in 1987. The operation underwent a feasibility study in 2017 which indicated a strong technical and economic viability which anticipated a 20 year life of mine.

In 2018, approval was received to proceed with its redevelopment project. The project is now in Phase 3, which will develop the infrastructure necessary to support the planned ramp up in production to 5,000tpd by the end of 2023.

As part of the redevelopment, AngloGold Ashanti announced a joint venture in 2018, highlighting its commitment to increasing meaningful local participation in the organisation’s work.

The $375 million, five-year underground mining contract will be undertaken by Underground Mining Alliance Limited (UMA), a joint venture between Australia’s African Underground Mining Services (AUMS) and Accra-based Rocksure International, a wholly owned Ghanaian mining contractor. The project will help develop mechanised, underground mining expertise within Ghana’s local mining and engineering sectors. Around 550 people, predominantly Ghanaians, will be employed and trained by the contractors for the duration of the contract, allowing for the transfer of knowledge and skills.

P11 Coastal Estates. Batsonaa Sakm, Accra Ghana PostGPS: GT-346-6668

We are a mining support service entity comprised of highly experienced and competent professionals with developed international and local expertise in management, mining and drilling, and construction activities who have converged to provide targeted mining/drilling and construction services for the mining industry.

We are structured to provide services across the full mining value chain.

Pamicor’s core values are Discipline, Focus, Smart-work, and Communication. We provide:

• A variety of services in contract mining, drilling and construction to the Ghanaian construction and mining industry.

• Training for the human capital to meet the dynamic demands in the Ghanaian and African mining and construction industry. With our core values at the forefront, we focus on imparting skills and knowledge that will be necessary in the industry and beyond.

• Underground mining equipment rental services and skilled labour for the various disciplines along the mining value chain.

We aim to grow organically by developing partnerships and relationships with blue chip local and multinational companies who embody our work ethics and strive to put Ghana on the map.

WHO WE ARE

Pamicor is a wholly Ghanaian company founded and incorporated in 1993 on a strong social and professional ethic and nurtures various internal and external initiatives to develop African drilling and construction business.

WHAT WE DO

To provide a variety of drilling, construction and steel work services to the Ghanaian construction and mining industry. To provide training for the human capital to meet the dynamic demands in the Ghanaian and African mining and construction industry.

We strive to maintain a safe, uncompromising and rigorous equipment maintenance scheme and to develop the expertise and to provide the training needs of our clients.

Our current projects include amongst others, the provision of mining services to AnglogoldAshanti’s Obuasi mine and Asante gold’s Chirano Mine.

Our contacts; www.pamicor.com, linkedin Pamicor

Project: Construction of Phase 1 of the Beposo Tailings Storage Facility

Client: AngloGold Ashanti (Iduapriem)

Engineers / Consultants: Jones & Wagener International

Contractor: WBHO Quantum LC Company Limited

Location: Republic of Ghana – Tarkwa

WBHO Ghana has been operational in Ghana for the last 17 years, throughout this time we have completed various projects for several different Clients. Quantum LC Limited is a leading provider of contract mining services, civil construction and earthworks, road construction and heavy-duty equipment rental services.

The two Companies, in a Joint Venture, completed the ‘Obuasi Gold Mine Recommissioning Project’ within time and budget successfully, which lead to the forming of a local Ghanaian entity with Quantum LC Company Limited, a long-standing business partner. The new company that was registered in Ghana and is a 51% Ghanaian-owned company, is called WBHO Quantum LC Company Limited.

‘Beposo TSF Phase I’ was the first project awarded to our new entity towards the end of 2021 and is approaching completion by end of October 2023. Some of the major activities entails removing unsuitable (1,006,570 m3), embankment layerworks fill (342,200 m3), placing of waste rock placement (7 545 366 m3), laying of HDPE pipes (36,766 m), HDPE liner (799,120 m2) and a steel slurry pipe line (4,000m).

The second project, is the ‘Stream Diversion’, which commenced in July 2023, which entitles the rerouting of an exiting stream around the new Phase I TSF. It entails 8,894,000m3 of earthworks over a stretch of 1.9kms, which is well on track.

The Right Steps at Iduapriem

In addition to Obuasi, AngloGold Ashanti has a second asset in Ghana - the Iduapriem mine.

The open pit mine comprises the Iduapriem, Teberebie, Ajopa, and Ajopa South West mining leases covering a concession area of 137km2 and encompassing 19 communities. Iduapriem started mining in 1992 and has since seen capacity and life of mine extensions.

The mine provides employment to about 2,750 people, all of whom are Ghanan, and ensures a local supply chain, with 90% of procurement spent in-country.

With the business’ SEDP front of mind, AngloGold Ashanti has invested $5 million into community investment in the last five years.

Recent community projects include its ‘Women in Soap Production’ initiative.

Established in 2019, the project provided assistance to 12 beneficiaries with their business registration and relevant approvals. In turn, the businesses were awarded a contract to supply certified liquid and Guardian Carbolic hand washing soaps to the mine and communities, generating around $4,800.

In addition, 18 women from the Teberebie community have undergone training in the production of soap and have received start up kits for soap and detergent production. Processes are underway to obtain approvals for them to produce for and to supply to the mass market.

Supporting equity in mining, in February 2023 AngloGold Ashanti held the second edition of its “Start Right, End Well” mentorship program at the Induapriem mine.

The program, which is run in collaboration with the Ladies in Mining and Allied Professions in Ghana and the Counselling

Rich Power Electricals Construction (RPE)

Rich Power Electricals Construction (RPE), headquartered in Obuasi, Ghana, is a homegrown enterprise specializing in electrical, instrumentation, and maintenance services. Founded in 2010, RPE has steadily risen with the aspiration to establish itself as a leading Electrical and Instrumentation firm not only in Ghana but across the African continent. The core commitment of the company lies in delivering top-notch electrical engineering solutions, encompassing cutting-edge design and technological expertise, all while ensuring cost-effectiveness for our valued clients.

RPE places a strong emphasis on recognizing the multifaceted value of its resources. Not only does it acknowledge its employees as the lifeblood of the organization, but it also understands

the pivotal role played by the local community and the surrounding environment. This holistic approach to resource management underscores RPE's dedication to sustainable development and the continued growth of its business operations.

By prioritizing the quality of its services and fostering a sense of responsibility toward its workforce, RPE strives to contribute to the economic and infrastructural advancement of both Ghana and the broader African landscape. In doing so, RPE endeavors to be a driving force behind progress, while simultaneously adhering to ethical and environmental considerations. With a decade of experience and a clear vision for the future, Rich Power Electricals Construction is poised to illuminate the path to excellence in the realm of electrical engineering services. www.richpower.org

and Students Support Unit of the University of Mines and Technology saw 3000 first-year students of the University of Mines and Technology introduced to the year-long mentorship scheme.

The programme has been designed to enhance students potential and encourage them to take the right steps in building their careers

In the latest news at the mine, a joint venture with GoldFields was proposed. The JV would see Iduapriem merge with the neighbouring Tarwa mine, which would result in the creation of the largest gold mine in Africa.

www.anglogoldashanti.com

ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI GHANA

Where Passion, Skills & Experience Intersect

When the love for machines and knowledge of mining, meets with the experience of selling heavy-duty equipment, great things are possible. Such is the story of Quantum LC and its Founder, Joseph Nii Kwatey Titus-Glover. From infancy, Joseph has been fascinated by machines. As a very young child he pulled apart and reassembled his toys. Needless to say he was unable to assemble some of them which often led to deep frustration. He however dreamt of owning a lot of “big machines” in future. This passion was at the core of his decision to study science in Achimota School. As the years went by the hope from his father that he would take after him as a Medical Doctor clashed with his passion for machines. It was simply by a twist of fate that he finally took the path towards Engineering by selecting Mathematics instead of Biology in sixth form at Presec Legon. The path to Engineering was thus sealed.

Engineering school was a period for refining Joseph’s dreams. Well before graduation he knew without a shadow of doubt that he would develop a career in the heavy-duty equipment industry. The workings of internal combustion engines and the moving parts of heavy equipment had all been mastered before he started out in Sales and After-sales service of Heavy-duty VOLVO equipment at Mullti-Tech Services as a recently-graduated Mining Engineer. Under the leadership of his two directors of Multi-Tech Services, Mr. Jojo Maxwel Todd and Mr. Angelo Massimino, and mentorship of Mr. Hans Fischer from Volvo Construction Equipment in Sweden, he grew VOLVO’s share of the heavy-duty equipment market in Ghana to 20% over a few short years. So outstanding was his performance that he was appointed as a Director

of Operations over Ghana, Benin and Liberia in no time. The successes he chalked constituted the spark to start his first Mining Support Service company MAXMASS Limited with his Directors at Multi-Tech Services and thereafter formed his own company in the heavy-duty equipment rental industry. Quantum LC was thus established in Joseph’s house, from the dining table in the living room where he would sit every morning with his initial team of 4 (four) employees developing growth strategies. The company grew in leaps and bounds, increasing its fleet from just 3(three) rental units to 14 (fourteen) units within two years. A true visionary, Joseph always had his eyes on the ultimate price; to engage in mining as a mining contractor. Quantum LC went ahead to register with the Minerals Commission as a mining contractor, a mining support service company, and has since completed several major projects in the Mining industry in Ghana.

Growth through partnerships was a mantra developed in the early days. This led to active collaborations with other international companies in mining and construction like WBHO and MotaEngil to develop more in-house capacity.

The initial four-man team has metamorphosed into a fully-fledged organization with over 300 (three hundred) employees working in various disciplines on several project sites in Ghana using several heavy-duty equipment owned by the company. The vision is sacred; to become a major player in the Mining industry in Ghana. The Founder & CEO recently averred, “If the trajectory of the company is anything to go by, we are on course to achieve our vision and that gives me great satisfaction and our next mission is to own a Quantum Mine”. To where we have reached in the Mining Sector, WE Just Thank God-JTG

We are Quantum LC Company Limited

Quantum LC Limited is a leading provider of contract mining services, civil construction and earthworks, road construction and heavy-duty equipment rental services.

Since its incorporation in 2012, when the Company started its heavy-duty equipment rental services, the company has seen a quantum leap in its offering an Construction works, TSF Construction and major Load & Haul Project works.

Quantum LC is poised to become a significant player in the Minin the commitment of its qualified and competent staff and through t health, safety, security and environmental practices in every aspect of its operations.

Mission

We facilitate efficient, incident-free and expedited service to our clients in major earthworks projects, civil construction works and contract mining.

Vision

To become a significant player in the mining industry in Ghana.

Mr. Joseph Titus-Glover Founder & CEO of Quantum LC Limited