Endeavour Magazine April 2022 by Littlegate Publishing

APRIL 2022 www.littlegatepublishing.com

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Editor’s Note

ntering a new tax year, into Q2 of 2022, time really does seem to fly since the Great Standstill began to ease. At Endeavour, we are back to our old tricks, speaking with many a company and association grounded in the energy sector, hearing intriguing and sometimes overlapping accounts of sustainable, green energy’s rising future, and yet also fossil fuel’s dogged persistence. Sometimes, both narratives are happening under the same roof, and it remains intriguing to watch it all play out. We also spoke with old friends at Amrut Distilleries, the first Indian produces of malt whiskey and, now, launchers of a new and delicious line of gins! We also took a look at Fairtrade Africa – an organisation that, really, needs no introduction at all. Lastly, we spoke with Reitz India, a fan manufacture who taught us as much about snakes as they did about their industrial fans! All in all, we’ve spoken with an interesting range of companies, and the world well and truly is starting to feel active and busy once more. Of course, in several of our conversations, we didn’t get far without talk turning to Ukraine. It has been moving and memorable, whilst looking at everyone’s business activities, to also hear about how several of these companies are reaching out to help Ukraine in their own ways. Coming out of a pandemic and into this time of conflict is certainly a time-capsule moment, and we won’t forget a lot of these interviews in a hurry. As always, our thoughts are with Ukraine, and we also encourage you all to pay attention to the rest of the news as well, so that other crucial global stories do not accidently slip us by during this latest event that has the world holding its breath.

by Alice Instone-Brewer

Endeavour Magazine | 3

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Asia China is censoring online discussion of war in Ukraine China has sought to keep a diplomatic distance from the war in Ukraine, choosing to abstain in a UN vote condemning Russia’s invasion. It is also making concerted efforts to stifle strong views about the conflict on Chinese social-media platforms. Only last month, Chinese leader Xi Jinping declared there was “no limit” to Beijing’s newly strengthened relationship with Russia. Posts expressing partisan views have been removed on a daily basis - both for and against Russian military action. “No-one dares to stand with Ukraine right now,” wrote one person on Weibo, China’s Twitter equivalent. “It’s all one-sided support for Russia.” This was removed along with many others like it, according to Free Weibo, which tracks Chinese censorship online. A retired Russian general’s open letter calling on President Vladimir Putin to step down - shared on the WeChat messaging app prior to the war - has now been blocked. Some views in support of Russia have also been suppressed. A “thank you” note posted by the official Weibo account of Russia’s state-controlled news network RT, expressing gratitude to the Chinese for their support, was taken down, as was this Weibo post: “I’m glad that Russia has taken the initiative to undertake the difficult task of fighting the neo-Nazis in Ukraine. The sanctions imposed on Russia are unacceptable.”

GCHQ chief warns China over ‘alignment’ with Russia China should not become “too closely aligned” with Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, the head of UK cyber-intelligence GCHQ has warned. Sir Jeremy Fleming said China’s long-term interests are not served by an alliance with Moscow. In a rare public address during a visit to Australia, Sir Jeremy also said Russia had “massively misjudged” the situation in Ukraine. He said Vladimir Putin’s advisers are “afraid to tell him the truth”. Sir Jeremy said China’s aspirations to become a leading player on the global stage were “not well served by close alliance with a regime that wilfully and illegally ignores” international rules. The speech at the Australian National University in Canberra comes after Downing Street said Boris Johnson had a “frank and candid” discussion with China’s President Xi Jinping last week. 6 | Endeavour Magazine

Sir Jeremy said that in the current, the Kremlin regards China crisis as a supplier of weapons, technology, and a potential market for its oil and gas. Meanwhile, echoing comments from US and Ukrainian officials, the GCHQ boss said Mr Putin “under-played the economic consequences of the sanctions regime. He over-estimated the abilities of his military to secure a rapid victory.”

Sri Lanka runs out of diesel, faces longest-ever blackout Diesel was no longer on sale across Sri Lanka on Mar 31, crippling transport as the crisis-hit country’s 22 million people endure record-long power blackouts. The South Asian nation is in the grips of its worst economic downturn since independence, sparked by an acute lack of foreign currency to pay for even the most essential imports. Diesel was unavailable at stations across the island, according to officials and media reports. Petrol was on sale but in short supply, forcing motorists to abandon their cars in long queues. “We are siphoning off fuel from buses that are in the garage for repairs and using that diesel to operate serviceable vehicles,” Transport Minister Dilum Amunugama said. Owners of private buses - which account for twothirds of the country’s fleet - said they were already out of oil and that even skeleton services may not be possible soon. The state electricity monopoly said they would be forced to enforce a 13-hour power cut - the longest ever - because they did not have diesel for generators. Hydro reservoirs, which provide more than a third of electricity demand, are also dangerously low.

Africa Zimbabwe to repossess unused farmland Zimbabwe has begun redistributing unused land that was given to black farmers during President Robert Mugabe’s bloody land reforms in the early 2000s, Zimbabwean Agriculture minister Anxious Masuka said in a statement: “Those who own more than one farm, or whose farms are abandoned, will face expropriation,” he said. “The lands will be redistributed to aspiring farmers, who are on a waiting list established since the last reforms,” he added. 99% of the land has already been allocated. Whilst the farmers in possession of this unused land are majoritively black, as a result of the land reforms, the majority of the new owners are also black Zimbabweans. The government has also assured that it will not repossess productive farms. In 2000, late president Robert Mugabe had white farmers forcibly expropriated from the country in order to reallocate their land to black farmers. The move was intended to correct inequalities resulting from British colonisation, but in fact, those close to the government benefited greatly from this redistribution. The new owners, poorly trained and ill-equipped, had left large tracts of arable land unused and the country now suffers from chronic food shortages. Some white farmers have already been allowed to reclaim land through local partnerships, Masuka said. “There are no specific criteria,” Vangelis Haritatos, deputy agriculture minister, told AFP. “What we want is a system that is fair to the greatest number of people.” “We want to achieve food self-sufficiency,” Haritatos said. According to the Famine Early Warning Network, about 10 million Zimbabweans, or two-thirds of the population, are at risk of hunger after a disappointing rainy season. Zimbabwe is heavily dependent on donors for its food supplies

Tunisia President dissolves parliament Tunisia’s President Kais Saied announced that he was dissolving the country’s parliament, eight months after suspending it in a July power grab. “Today, at this historic moment, I announce the dissolution of the Assembly of Representatives of the people, to preserve the state and its institutions,” he said. He made the announcement at a meeting of the National Security Council, hours

after parliamentarians held a plenary session online and voted through a bill against his “exceptional measures”. Saied denounced parliament’s move as a “coup attempt” and said those responsible had “betrayed” the nation. The former law professor, elected in 2019 amid public anger against the political class, froze the assembly in July 25 last year and seized wideranging powers. He later gave himself powers to rule and legislate by decree and seized control over the judiciary in what rivals saw as further blows to democracy in the birthplace of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings. Saied’s moves were initially welcomed by many Tunisians, but an increasing array of critics say he has moved the country down a dangerous path back towards autocracy.

Ghanaians criticize parliament’s controversial E-levy tax Widespread criticism of the government is growing in Ghana after Parliament approved a new electronic transaction tax, which the government says will help raise $900m in much-needed revenue. The E-levy bill will introduce a 1.5% tax on electronic money transfers and transactions. President Nana Akufo-Addo’s has said the move will help address problems from unemployment to the country’s high public debt. But for many Ghanaians, the tax represents yet another burden. as living costs heightened by soaring fuel prices piles even more pressure. Legislators passed the law after the opposition minority walked out of the debate. Ghana has been struggling to revive its economy, which has been badly affected from the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. The west African nation reopened its land and sea borders in late March. Endeavour Magazine | 7

Americas Violence in eastern Colombia leaves 130 dead this year Some 130 people have been killed and more than 3,000 forcibly displaced this year as violence has surged in eastern Colombia, according to the United Nations and the Catholic Church. The institutions have called on armed groups to stop the violence and respect international humanitarian law in a joint statement after officials visited the Colombian region of Arauca, which borders Venezuela. Fighting erupted between the National Liberation Army -- the largest leftist guerrilla group in the country, known by its Spanish acronym ELN -- and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, in the early hours of January 2, according to Colombia’s ombudsman Carlos Camargo. More than 20 people were killed in those clashes. Human Rights Watch echoed the UN and Catholic Church’s claims in a separate report, saying fighting between ELN and dissident FARC forces in early 2022 had caused thousands to flee on the ColombiaVenezuela border. HRW also accused Venezuelan armed forces of conducting joint operations with ELN guerrilla fighters against FARC dissidents in the border area in early 2022, contributing to the violence in the region.

Nicaragua sentences ex-presidential candidate to 8 years in prison Former Nicaraguan presidential candidate Cristiana Chamorro Barrios was sentenced to eight years 8 | Endeavour Magazine

in prison for financial crimes, according to a Nicaraguan human rights non-governmental organization. This is the latest crackdown by President Daniel Ortega’s government on opposition members. Ortega claimed a fifth term as president last November. In June 2021, his government began using a vague national security law as justification to lock up opposition presidential candidates, opposition leaders, journalists, human rights activists and others ahead of the November election. At least 40 opposition figures have been found guilty of conspiring to undermine national integrity and financial crimes. Chamorro, a journalist and former director of the Violeta Barrios de Chamorro Foundation for Reconciliation and Democracy, was sentenced to eight years in prison for the crimes of money laundering and improper retention and will remain under house arrest, according to the Nicaraguan Centre for Human Rights. Pedro Vásquez, the journalist’s driver, was sentenced to seven years in prison for money laundering. Foundation administrator Walter Gómez and accountant Marcos Fletes were each sentenced to 13 years in prison for the same crimes, in addition to abusive management and ‘ideological falsehood’. All five were found guilty on March 12, 2022 in a closed trial.

Honduras’ Supreme Court approves extradition of former president to the US The Honduran Supreme Court has authorized the extradition of former president Juan Orlando Hernández to the US, where he will face drug trafficking and firearms possession charges. The decision by the country’s highest court to reject Hernández’s appeal ratifies a March 16 decision by a Honduran judge to grant his extradition to the US. Hernández, who left office in January after eight years as president, will remain in custody until Honduran authorities coordinate with authorized agents to transfer him to the US, the statement said. The former president was arrested at his home on February 15 at the request of the US government. About a month earlier, federal prosecutors claimed that Hernández helped an alleged drug trafficker deliver thousands of kilos of cocaine to the US in exchange for hefty bribes. His administration at the time denied the allegation.

Middle East US imposes sanctions over Iran’s ballistic missile program The United States has imposed sanctions on several entities it says are involved in obtaining supplies for Iran’s ballistic missile program. The US Treasury Department said the sanctions target an Iran-based procurement agent, Mohammad Ali Hosseini, and his network of companies that it accused of procuring “ballistic missile propellant-related materials”. The department said the materials were procured for an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps unit responsible for research and development of ballistic missiles, as well as Parchin Chemical Industries, which is part of Iran’s Defense Industries Organization. The move comes as the US and Iran are in negotiations to return to the 2015 multilateral nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which saw Tehran scale back its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions. Former US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in 2018, instead pursuing a “maximum pressure” strategy against Iran, which in turn escalated its nuclear program beyond the limits set by the pact. The Biden administration has said it wants to get all the parties back into mutual compliance with the JCPOA.

Palestinians in Gaza call for right of return on Land Day Palestinians in Gaza gathered on March 30th at the besieged territory’s seaport to mark Land Day, an event that emphasises Palestinian resistance to Israel. The demonstration saw participants chanting 10 | Endeavour Magazine

slogans calling for their right to return to the land they were displaced from in 1948, when Israel was created on the majority of historic Palestine. Palestinians commemorate Land Day on an annual basis, dating back to March 30, 1976, when six unarmed Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces during protests against the Israeli government’s decision to expropriate large tracts of Palestinianowned land. Land Day demonstrations in Hamas-run Gaza are usually large, with many residents of the besieged territory originally coming from towns and villages that are now in southern Israel. Although they are only a short distance away, the vast majority of Palestinians in Gaza have never been able to travel to them. This year’s event comes at a tense time, with three attacks carried out in just over a week by Palestinians that have killed 11 Israelis.

How is a UK-Iran debt linked to Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s release? Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian woman detained in Iran for nearly six years, is back in the UK. Her release and that of another dual national, Anoosheh Ashoori, has been linked to the payment by the UK of a multi-million pound debt to Iran over a failed arms deal dating back 40 years. In the 1970s the Shah of Iran - the pro-Western monarch who then ruled the country - ordered 1,500 Chieftain tanks and 250 Armoured Recovery Vehicles from the UK in a deal worth an estimated £650m. Only 185 of the tanks were delivered to the Iranian authorities before the Shah was deposed in the Islamic Revolution of 1979. The Iranian government has been trying to regain the money for the undelivered tanks ever since. The British-Iranian was detained in April 2016, and spent nearly six years in detention for allegedly plotting against the Iranian government. She protested her innocence throughout this time. Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe said she had been told by her captors that her imprisonment was connected to the fact that the UK had not paid its debt. In 2021, the former foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt said Iran was linking her case and the unpaid debt. However, the UK government did not admit that a link existed.

Europe Ukraine sends buses to Mariupol for rescue effort

indiscriminate attacks on populated areas of Ukraine “may amount to war crimes”. 77 incidents have been verified in which medical Fresh efforts are under way to evacuate civilians facilities had been damaged, including 50 hospitals. trapped by Russian forces in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said a convoy of 45 Ukrainian buses was on its way to the besieged southern city. She said the International Committee of the Red Cross had confirmed that Russia had agreed to open a humanitarian corridor to Mariupol. Tens of thousands of civilians remain there after weeks of bombardment. Earlier, the Russian defence ministry said the United Nations refugee agency and the Red Cross would assist in the evacuation of civilians, which would begin at 10:00 local time. It said a ceasefire would allow people to travel westwards to Zaporizhzhia via the Russiancontrolled port of Berdyansk. Although some residents have escaped, all previous attempts to establish a ceasefire in Mariupol have collapsed amid accusations of bad faith from both sides. Russia has also been accused of forcibly relocating thousands of civilians to Russia or Russian-controlled areas.

Russia launches new attacks after Putin is being misled by scared peace promise advisers, White House says There has been no let-up in attacks on Ukraine’s northern cities despite Russia’s pledge to reduce military action, regional authorities say. Russia said it would cut back operations around Chernihiv and the capital Kyiv in an effort to “boost mutual trust” in peace talks. But the Chernihiv region’s governor has said attacks continued overnight. Ukraine also said there had been no mass removal of troops. Oleksandr Motuzyanyk, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s armed forces, said that though there had been a partial movement of troops from the directions of Kyiv and Chernihiv, they had yet to fully abandon attempts to seize, or at least surround these cities. Later, a US defence official said some Russian troops were leaving the Chernobyl area. The decommissioned nuclear power station has been under Russian control since late-February, a move that has been subject to widespread international condemnation. There have also been concerns over the welfare of workers at the Chernobyl site. The UN’s Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet, meanwhile, said Russia’s allegedly

The Russian President is being misled by advisers who are too scared to tell him how badly the war in Ukraine is going, the White House claims. Mr Putin is also not being told about the full impact of sanctions on the Russian economy, it adds. Meanwhile British intelligence says Russian troops in Ukraine are demoralised, short of equipment and refusing to carry out orders. White House spokesperson Kate Bedingfield said the US had information that Mr Putin “felt misled by the Russian military” and this had resulted in “persistent tension between Putin and his military leadership”. “Putin’s war has been a strategic blunder that has left Russia weaker over the long term and increasingly isolated on the world stage,” she said. Ukrainian forces have begun attempts to retake some areas from Russia, which said it would scale back operations around Kyiv and the northern city of Chernihiv. On the ground, US and Ukrainian officials say Russia is continuing to reposition forces away from Kyiv, probably as part of its effort to refocus on eastern regions. Endeavour Magazine | 11

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

FIRST GOLD Tietto Minerals chevron-square-right www.tietto.com phone-square +61 (0)8 9420 8270

Tietto Minerals

In 2014, Tietto Minerals first took notice of an area in Abujar, Côte d’Ivoire, the land showing prospective signs of mineralisation through some unorthodox activity. Today, after an incredibly fast turn-around, this same land holds an active gold mine site that is being developed and constructed by Tietto Minerals and the companies it called in from scratch, and it is middle to completion. We caught up with Caigan Wang, the Founder and Managing Director, to hear how Tietto achieved this, how the operation is going, and what results the company is looking forward to from its first fully operational site.

Caigen Wang 14 | Endeavour Magazine

ocated approximately 30km from the major city of Daloa, the Abujar Gold Project is, according to Tietto Minerals, set to be West Africa’s next major gold mine. Now fully financed, the mine’s current lifetime revenue is predicted to be US$2.87 billion (at a US$1,700/oz gold price), with first gold expected to be fully mined and processed by Q4 this year, and 260,000oz of gold to have been produced by 2023. We asked Caigan about whether Tietto had experienced any difficulty in finding funding – especially given the recent state of the word – but with gold prices as they are, appetites for such investments are hungry.

“For us, the challenge was not finding project financing,” Caigen explained; “The challenge was finding which financer we wanted to work with. If you look at how fast we progressed the project from scratch to where it is now, you will see that we needed to find financial providers who were able to meet our fast mine construction schedule.” Being able to turn offers of finance away, in favour of holding out for the perfect match, is a desirable situation to be in. The company pivoted the development of the project to full equity funding in order to speed up the journey to first production, and to accelerate development in a flexible structure at significantly lower cost. Caigen explained that Tietto had spoken with over dozens of interested potential financial providers, all differing in the type of financial service they offered, how this financing would be structured, and crucially, their timeframes. Finally, Tietto found the best way to be full equity funding approach thanks to strong support from existing shareholders and new investors. Operating at a CapEx of 100% self-funded, and with the recent acquisition of AU$130 million capital raise this year and AU$85 million late last year, the project is now not only fully funded, but also middle way to the end of construction. Not only this, its Definitive Feasibility Study was completed in October 2021, with the following results: in total, the site has a Mineral Resource of at least 3.35 million ounces of gold, with Ore Reserves of 1.4 million ounces. The mine is expected to be able to yield more than 200,000 ounces per year for the first six years of production, and investors are expected to receive their first financial return on the project after only

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its first year of production. All of this makes now an exciting period for Tietto and the mine’s investors, and whilst its current mine-life is only officially rules at 11 years, further exploration and data suggests a probable life of over 20 years. So, where did it all begin? “It was early 2014 when I was introduced to the area,” Caigen told us. “At that time, there were many artisanal miners doing illegal mining activity there, so, frankly speaking, the area’s existence of mineralisation was discovered by the illegal miners.” This was an unusual-seeming, yet extremely informative way to stumble upon a land’s potential! The artisanal miners would not have wasted their time on an area with nothing to yield, and these particular illegal miners were in no small numbers, either: “We had more than 20 thousand illegal miners there. The pattern of the miners made it quite clear that they were digging along a few kilometers of strike area. So, it wasn’t random – it showed regular patterns. This gives you an indication of the mineralisation structure there. All in all, seeing this made us act quickly.” With origins like this, the story of the Abujar Gold Project raises the question of its relationship with the local communities. Always an essential element in establishing a responsible mining operation, such relationships are even more important to navigate carefully when the land acquisition for a mine has, in its early stages, put an end to the unlawful activities of this many local artisanal miners. We asked Caigen about Tietto’s relationship with its mine’s local community, and his answers were extremely positive: “The local community has been very supportive because they see us doing mining activities in a legally informed manner. Every step that we take, we inform them first. This means they understand that we won’t be simply digging the gold and leaving nothing to them – they see that this is a properly run operation.” This communication is key: for some locals, their land has been purchased by Tietto Minerals, and for others who maintain ownership and use of their land, it may be adjacent to or nearby to Tietto’s activities. In both cases, transparency and responsibility are key, and in contrast to the disorganised activities before, the people of Abujar are able to experience that Tietto provides all of these. The local community’s acceptance of Tietto is a testament to its success in delivering this, and it isn’t through accident, but the careful effort of a dedicated team. “It’s quite a big team working with the communities. In our CSR department, we have about a half dozen staff working on this area.” 16 | Endeavour Magazine

“If there are any damages or potential damages, they are communicated to them and they are compensated.” This communication and compensation are paramount, but it is not simply a case of doing them, but doing them correctly and considerately: “Since 2014, every year, we have two or three community gatherings in which to discuss compensation. We approach these discussions with respect, as we do with the individual cases of compensation.” Caigen went on to explain that, say, if a tree was or may be damaged, the compensation required would be calculated “with respect to their local cultures as well as their economic value.” In other words, what it means to the people, both emotionally and symbolically, as well as its practical place in their way of life, is taken into account as much as monetary factors. This approach required an understanding of the local community and its culture, and is also – if done correctly – a far better way to earn trust from the people it is addressing and reaching out to. It shows respect and a willingness to listen which, in turn, inspires trust.

First gold

“The way I see it,” Caigen shared with us, “A mining company is only one part of a larger chain. From the Ministry of Mining and the Department of Commerce through to the local communities, our investors and our shareholders, we as a mining company are only a part of this chain. So, we make sure that we are not only looking out for the interests of our shareholders. Of course, we definitely want to maximise the shareholders’ investment return, but we also make sure that we pay sufficient attention to other stakeholders - particularly the local communities.” This care and attention for the affected locals is both viewed in the short-term and long-term: “Gold resources are not renewable. When the mineral is mined out, you’ve damaged the land, so what are you going to do? So, we consider their interests as a critical part of our business as well.” As well as clear communication, bonds of support have been built between Tietto and the local communities through employment: as is usually the case, a new mining project means many vacancies, and except in cases where particular qualifications are required, Tietto makes sure to hire the vast majority of its team locally. “We also have registers

for the local people to express their interest in working with us, so when a vacancy comes up, they are the first on our list to be employed.” Trust has also been earnt through the process via which Tietto Minerals approached and completed the Land Acquisition stage of its project development. “ The land acquisition process we have gone through was very well supervised by a specialised team. That entire process was finished in a very culturally sound way.” The way this process was navigated by Tietto was, Caigen believes, a first for the country of Cote d’Ivoire – when purchasing the land, the company set up a method that supported and enabled the area’s landowners in the management of the funds they would receive. Some of the funds, they would have immediate access to, another portion was available for withdrawal monthly over a period of 180 months, and the final portion would be made available to them once they presented a viable business plan of how they intended to earn money in the future - i.e., by starting a chicken farm. This process protected locals from immediately accessing and potentially wasting or losing their funds before they had a viable next step in place, and also empowered them

Endeavour Magazine | 17

Tietto Minerals

in assisting them in thinking about how they would move onwards without their land and, eventually, without a potential job in mining. The Abujar Gold Project is certainly the main focus for Tietto Minerals’ efforts at the moment – the first production mine for the company to have developed from scratch, it will continue to hold much of Tietto’s attention as those first gold yields come in late this year. However, the company has also been undergoing what Caigen described as an “aggressive resource growth”, investing in equipment such and diamond core rigs that allow not only faster exploration in their current property, but also mean that, should they acquire a new site, exploration can begin quickly here as well. “That’s what we’re doing now. So, in short, we’re running in two lines – we’re building the mine, and at the same time, we’re aggressively drilling to grow the resource.”

Tietto is already actively scouting its surrounding area for a second potential project. “We are not really looking for someone to buy us, so it is natural to look for future projects. If a good opportunity comes, it would

18 | Endeavour Magazine

be good to seize it and reposition ourselves as a mine developer for second gold mine. From our experience of building this project from scratch within the company, we can hopefully repeat the process.” With established experience in how to execute a full development project, and the resources in place to be able to swoop into action, Tietto is in the perfect position to expand its portfolio. In the meantime, however, this year is already an exciting time – one in which the fruits of its labours from the past eight years will finally come to bear. Like any company that knows how to keep moving forwards, it is already looking to future projects even as it prepares to reap these rewards, but it is those rewards themselves that will be exciting to see come in at the end of this year, bringing good news not only for Tietto and their investors, but also the local people employed and supported by the company and the continued outreach it has in place.

ABUJAR: WEST AFRICA’S NEXT GOLD MINE 260,000oz gold forecast in first year of production (+30% on PFS) at AISC $651/oz 1.2Moz gold forecast over first six years for 200,000ozpa (+20% on PFS) at AISC $804/oz Updated Open Pit Probable Ore Reserves increased to 34.4Mt at 1.3 g/t Au for 1.45Moz using US$1,407/oz (68% increase over the PFS and 78% of Indicated Mineral Resources ) Life of Mine (LOM) mining inventory inclusive of Ore Reserves of 44.9Mt at 1.2 g/t Au for 1.7Moz gold recovered (54% increase over the PFS) for a strip ratio of 6:1 w:o (-26% on PFS)

Tietto Minerals Minerals admin@tietto.com www.tietto.com

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Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

A FAN FOR ALL SEASONS Reitz India chevron-square-right www.reitzindia.com phone-square +91 8455 676666 / +91 8455 261888

Reitz India

True strength comes from unity. As Aesop illustrates in one of his many fables, an individual stick can be broken, but a bundle of sticks is extremely hard to break. Working together, what we create is often stronger than the sum of our parts, benefitting from the best of everyone involved and supporting each other where that support is needed. This concept is clearly true for Reitz India, an Indo-German venture that seems to bring together the best of both teams and countries as they unite to create industrial-grade fans. We spoke with Anurag Tej Kotagiri, Reitz India’s Business Development & Operations Manager, to learn more about this partnership, as well as how Reitz India supports its clients.

eitz India is an Indo-German joint venture collaboration. Its German counterpart, Konrad Reitz Ventilatoren GmbH (KRV), was founded in 1948, whilst Reitz India was founded in 1998, meaning it is now closing in on its 25th year of operation. Overall, the Reitz Group is one of the world’s leading suppliers of top-quality industrial fans, with manufacturing facilities in Switzerland as well as its German and Indian locations. The German company is one of the biggest centrifugal fan manufactures in Europe, and Reitz India is also prolific in its own right. In its own words, “Since its inception, Reitz India has remained as a progressive organization offering tailor-made solutions to its customers, thus earning its name as a leading fan company in India and abroad.” As Anurag further told us, “We have supplied over 36,000 fans in over 60 countries so far.”

As a Group, Reitz puts an emphasis on the importance of tailor-made solutions to suit each client’s specific needs, whether that is the commissioning of a new fan or a retrofit of an existing system. There is also an emphasis on building long-term relationships with their customers, in order to keep them up to date with their fan needs. This approach requires two aspects from Reitz: strong technical expertise, and the ability to build lasting bonds. Reitz India has both. Firstly, its technology. As Anurag told us; “We believe, and I think we’ve proved over time, that quality is paramount to our organisation. That quality comes, in part, because we have been able to define certain parameters in the way our manufacturing process is designed. We invest in machinery such as laser welding, laser cutting technology, and even a spinning machine that no other fan manufacturer in South Asia has. We also have an exchange technical knowledge [with KRV].” “We pay attention to detail in every part of the process, and we’d like to thank our partners and colleagues in Germany in relation to this. We have been able to work with them in tandem and implement their processes, and that success shows in our product.” With more years behind them and a strong tradition of precise German engineering in their company culture, it is no wonder that KRV has information to share with Reitz India. This exchange goes both ways, however, with both companies able to learn from each other, and in closely

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Reitz India

following the advice from its German counterpart, it is the dedicated team in Reitz India that puts this knowledge into practice. “We’re always refining – it’s a continuous development. We work with KRV every week – we have weekly meetings about how we could make our productivity better or how we could have a leaner manufacturing process.” This relationship is fruitful in terms of its exchange of ideas, but that isn’t all: as we said, the two aspects Reitz requires is technical know-how and also the ability to make and sustain bonds, and in its joint venture with KRV, we can see both. “It’s been 24 years now, so we’ve come a long way in terms of how we communicate. Our collaboration with Germany has gone even beyond the professional front. Some of them are family friends now – I know their kids and we interact. I myself am 30 years old, so, you could say I’m a second generation in this company, and they’re the third generation in KRV. So, we have a culture and family ties.” One of the ways in which this Indo-German collaboration has benefited Reitz India is through thinking up ways to make the company’s production methods cleaner and more sustainable. For example, as Anurag told us:

“We have a very specific waste management system, which is oftentimes missing in industrial manufacturing companies in India, though that is starting to change. For us as an organisation, it is not just the products that matter: we like to show that we’re an organisation that takes responsibility by adapting these sustainable approaches, not just towards manufacturing, but towards the environment as well.” Speaking of the environment, Reitz India has gone above and beyond to protect its environment in an unusual and, depending on your view on certain creatures, arguably adorable way. Anurag told us all about it: “India has a lot of snakes. Where we are in the South of India, in the suburbs, you could literally call it an urban forest. Snakes are everywhere, and they usually curl up wherever they find piles of iron.” For Reitz, who work with iron to make sometimes giant industrial fans, that means everywhere. Which, when these snakes are sharing their homes with a busy team of workers, can be a problem. “We have a factory of about 400 people here, and people, in general, are scared of snakes. So, in the past, they would get scared and kill them. Snakes are 24 | Endeavour Magazine

very defensive animals, and we are in their territory too – it isn’t just our territory. We’ve got to learn to coexist.” “I am fortunate to have a friend from an organisation called Friends of Snakes. What they do is spread awareness about each and every snake that is present in this eco system. So, we had a workshop, and we conducted it twice over the past two years. Now, my blue-collar workers – they encounter these snakes quite a bit – proactively come up to me and say, ‘Sir, I spotted a snake. I knew it was a non-poisonous one because I could tell from the scales, so we let it go’, or sometimes they even see the poisonous one but just let the snakes pass by, because they’re very defensive creatures and they’re good for the ecosystem. And it doesn’t end at the workplace - they go back home, they talk to their kids, they educate their families. So, it’s nurturing minds. We take our CSR seriously.” This wider impact will benefit not only the snakes and the local ecosystem, but it is also a form of educational outreach. This outreach has also been offered by Reitz India in other ways, such as a Safety Week that uses a range of events to educate young people about safety. In more bricks-and-mortar

A fan for all seasons

CSR, the company has also built the sanitation for a local government school, but it really is the snakes that stood out to us as a unique way to improve both workplace safety and the wider environment and community. When it comes to outreach and aid, sometimes events take us by surprise, and a need arises that grabs the world’s attention. As we spoke with Anurag, the conversation couldn’t help but turn to what is happening in Ukraine. Whilst far away from both of our offices (Anurag in India, we in the UK), the situation never seems far from the mind. For Reitz India, the situation was seeming particularly relevant because the company has several important customers out there, with real human relationships attached. As will came as no surprise, the company has some high-value goods that it has constructed for Ukrainian clients who, of course, cannot currently take possession of or pay for it. For Reitz, the response to this is a no-brainer: “Of course, we are human beings first, so we said alright, we’ll let it be, we’ll let time pass.” What silenced our phone-call with Anurag, however, was hearing about an email they received from another major client – a steel

company – that had reached out to its suppliers to ask for humanitarian aid to be sent to the company. Letting business in the country pause, Reitz – and we are sure many others – responded back to share their gladness to send over what non-perishable goods, such as first aid kits, that they could. As of our conversation, the back and forth about the logistics was still ongoing. Moments like this are reminders of how unpredictable our world is, and, as Anurag said, we may work in various industries, but we are all humans first. Whatever role we are playing in our market, that is an important fact to remember – especially when our world is so small these days, and aid and communications are more possible than ever to send. Turning back to its business ventures, however, Reitz is very much on the move. Whilst the company encountered some challenges during Covid, such as needing to grapple with the shipping issues and delays that struck business the world over, it continued on and business did well. A move to digitisation was a boon that the company was able to implement and take away from the pandemic, with clients who were previously reluctant to have remote readings taken finally able to see

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Reitz India

the benefit. As many businesses have seen, from necessity came innovation. With business itself going well, Reitz has its eyes on new frontiers: currently selling products to 60 countries, there are still some areas of the world where the company doesn’t yet have a presence, but it intends to change all this. In particular, its eyes are currently looking to North America:

“The North American market is our focus in the coming two or three years. We’ve done very little business there in the past 10 years, compared to what we’ve done in India and the rest of the world. One reason was that we didn’t have someone on the ground to market, whereas now we have one, and we’re going to add another. One advantage we have is that we work with LafargeHolcim, one of the leading cement manufacturers in the world. They’ve absolutely been one of our top customers. North America really is where we want to be doing business in cement in the coming years.”

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One edge that Reitz India offers is a low manufacturing cost compared to its European and American rivals, though at the moment, transportation costs are so high that this absorbs much of this. As mentioned before, the company continually seeks to further streamline its operations and up their efficiency, and saving expenditure in this way goes a way towards countering this effect. One such way in which Reitz India saved itself funds was a simple move inspired by the pandemic, rather than by its German cousins: “We have a plasma cutting machine and we have a laser cutting machine, but the cost of running the plasma is ten times the cost of the laser. We got the laser cutting machine during the first pandemic: it’s a one-time investment that was quite high, but then it’s far cheaper. We were spending an average of about £2,500 a month for the plasma, just for maintenance and the consumables. The laser cost me hardly £200. It’s like an electric car: you buy it first, I know it hurts, but you save in the long run.” Another edge that Reitz offers is its talent at retrofitting existing fans – coming in and making these already installed fans more efficient, which

A fan for all seasons

can save a company on energy costs as well as improve how green its emissions are. “The USA is big in energy savings and we are really good in improving the efficiency of an existing fan. So, our strategy is to add value and give energy savings to our customers in the USA. The USA has promised a lot at the COP summit. They promised to cut down their emissions, and if you want to cut down your emissions you need efficient machines, and we are there to help them do that.” A global move towards this desire for energy efficiency, and even for renewable energy, has proven fantastic for the industrial fan trade. Not only do companies need efficient fans in order to cut down on their own emissions, but industries such as cement and steel rely on this technology, and whilst neither of those sound particularly green, they’re both needed towards the effort. In fact, the effort can’t exist without them: “You cannot build a wind farm without cement and steel. A lot of investment is going into renewable energy, and so, into renewable steel and cement. To ramp up the sustainable approach, to ramp up renewable energy, you would need the cement and the steel

companies to ramp up their production, and that’s where we come in.” It is always gratifying to hear that a push towards renewables really is happening, and equally, it is good to be reminded of the heavy industries that must, by necessity, support the move. You cannot have one without the other, but in companies like Reitz India, there are the means to reduce the impact of such operations, in their case through efficient fans. As for Reitz itself, it is also encouraging and rewarding to hear of its interest in its local community, the positive impact it is making for both people and animals in its area, and even, we can hope, those further afield. It is fitting that a company strengthened by a JV passes the benefits of collaboration and cooperation forwards by helping others, and we look forward to watching this company achieve more success in the near future.

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Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

GIN, GIN! Amrut Distilleries chevron-square-right www.amrutdistilleries.com phone-square +91-80-22236334, +91-80-22236341

Amrut Distilleries

In early 2020, we spoke with Amrut Distilleries, the first-ever Indian company to produce a local single-malt whiskey. It is a company that has a history as old as India’s post-colonialism independence, with a rich and exciting legacy to match. Now that the world has emerged on the other side of the recent pandemic, we got back in touch with Rakshit Jagdale, Amrut Distilleries’ Managing Director, to see how the company was getting on with the plans they had teased for us last time. In particular, we were keen to hear how they had progressed with their new line of gins...

mrut Distilleries are a Southern Indian producer of spirits: primarily, they deal in single-malt and blended malt whiskeys, but they also distill brandy, vodka, rum and, as of recently, gin. With a name that means ‘ambrosia’ in Hindi, it is no wonder that this company produces so many delicious and tempting beverages, and with over 70 years behind it, it knows what it’s doing. If it didn’t, it wouldn’t have achieved the worldwide acclaim that this company enjoys, nor its active market participation in 60 countries worldwide.

We caught with Rakshit Jagdale, company MD and grandson of its founder, Shri J.N. Radhakrishna Jagdale, to find out how Amrut has been faring since we last spoke. In particular, we were keen to follow up with him about Amrut’s new gin line – something that was still in the preparation stages when we last featured the company: “The reception has been very good so far. We distilled the first batch in 2019, and in 2020 we launched it in Bangalore, India. We have exported our first consignments to Europe, the UK and America, and these should be on the shelves in another month or two.” The line, named Nilgiris after India’s Nilgiris Hills, uses botanicals from the area and is then distilled in Bangalore. A couple of the botanical ingredients, Rakshit tells us, are imported from the UK, such as juniper berries, liquorice root and angelica root, but the very majority (over 90%) are all sourced from this hill area. This sort of authenticity, as well as a desirable flavour, is all a part of what marks out a good gin – especially within active gin culture, which favours this sort of delicacy and detail. That sort of gin culture is alive and active in many countries, and it has recently taken India by storm: “India has seen a massive growth in premium gins. There has been a gin renaissance in India, I would say – especially premium gins.” Most of these gins are distilled in the state of Goa. Rakshit described how the spirits’ popularity in India is currently rivalling that of vodka, though of course vodka has the advantage on price. However, when it comes to the premium category, gin is currently receiving a great amount of attention and hence, Amrut’s push in this direction continues: “We have launched the original Nilgiris range, and we are contemplating an aged gin, where gin is aged in an Amrut ex-whiskey barrel for about three months.

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Amrut Distilleries

Work is in progress from the technical team and I think the product should probably roll out in May/ June this year.” The newest addition to Amrut’s repertoire, gin is currently gaining a lot of focus, but it is currently still the smallest portion of the company’s product offerings. Far and away, the actual focus is still very much on whiskey. Rakshit estimated that of Amrut’s total product lines, gin accounts for 1-2%, with vodka representing 5%, rum and brandy each representing 10%, and the remaining 70%+, therefore, belongs to whiskey. “Whiskey is still our primary focus: single malt whiskey, and the blended malt whiskeys that we have. Over a period of time, gin will gain importance within our portfolio, but whiskey is our main staple.”

Amrut is one of the few distilleries out there that distills five different spirits under the same roof. That said, it is no small operation – in fact, in 2018, the company further expanded its whiskey distillery capabilities, and it may do so again soon: “The global demand for single malt whiskey from Amrut has grown significantly, and more so in India as well, so I think, most-likely, we will be adding to our

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malt distillation capacity from the second half of this year.” Currently, Amrut’s products are sold in 60 countries, with whiskey the most popular in most locations. “Our fusion malt whiskey is the front runner, and the classic Indian single malt whiskey is also picking up. These are the two major variants that are doing the best for us, globally. That said, every year, we keep introducing new variants of whiskey. This year, we will be introducing an 8-yearold mature Angle’s whiskey.” This line was first launching when we last spoke with Amrut, and has clearly continued to expand since: “A couple of years back, and we came up with this line starting with the 10 and the 12-year-old whiskeys, and going forwards this year, we’ll be launching version two of the 8-year-old.” It is fantastic to hear that all of the balls Amrut Distilleries had rolling when we last spoke are still in motion. The last time we spoke with the spirits company, it had been the start of 2020, and none of us had any idea how the year was going to play out, never mind the one following it. Catching up with Rakshit again, we were curious what impact, if any,

Gin, gin!

the company had felt from the pandemic when it came to sales. After all, bars and restaurants came to a stand-still, but at home, people did their best to carry on as normal: “In the lower and deluxe ranges, because of several phases of lockdown, we saw a downward trend in sales. Having said that, in the premium end, we have not witnessed anything. Some states allowed online purchase, and people would get their premium spirits at home. In fact, consumption went up!” On the other side of the pandemic, both of these changes seem to have plateaued back to normal once more, with the public largely vaccinated and able to head back out to restaurants and bars. For Amrut, these mild disruptions did nothing to slow its plans, its growth being carried out as planned and on time. The company even participated in the production of hand sanitizer in March 2020, as a part of many companies responding to the needed push for what has now become an every-day essential. Moving forwards, undeterred by the pandemic, Amrut will not only be continuing to expand its gin line and its whiskey capacity – it is also looking to expand its market. As Rakshit told us: “We are currently present in 60 countries. Having said that,

we are planning to get into South America. That’s the only continent where I think we’re not available now. Also, mainland Africa – we are available in South Africa, but mainland Africa, so far no. So, going forwards, I think we’ll be looking at both territories seriously.” If Amrut can get a strong foothold in both of these markets, then it will have a presence somewhere in every major point on the globe. This is extremely exciting news for the already successful company, which continues to bring authentic Indian flavours and approaches both to spirits that the country is well known for and, in its whiskey especially, one that it typically is not. Amrut’s growing reach continues to put Indian whiskey on the map, and we look forward to seeing this continue to take hold. In the meantime, we also look forward to trying some of this new gin!

Endeavour Magazine | 33

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

FAIRER FUTURES Fairtrade Africa chevron-square-right fairtradeafrica.net phone-square (+254 ) 202 721930

Fairtrade Africa

Established in 1992, Fairtrade has gone from an intriguing new concept to, 30 years later, being and remaining an established household name. At first, products bearing the charity certification felt novel or fad-like to some, yet since then, Fairtrade has not only proven its ethical and economic impact for those it works with, not to mention its sticking power, but the world has also grown more conscientious and more demanding of the ethical standards that this charity promotes, supports and protects. We took a look at Fairtrade Africa, to see how this entity is working in and with this continent to bring about fairer terms and treatment in its agricultural sector.

airtrade was and is a global movement that tackled traditional trade by championing the ethical treatment and payment of smallhold farmers and farm workers, rather than chasing the lowest price for products at any unseen, overseas cost. The charity succeeded in educating many populations on the harmful effects that the casual consumption of certain chocolate and coffee brands supported, and instead challenged people to think about the farmers behind their luxury items and to opt for brands that could deliver ethical practices throughout their chain.

Established in 2005, Fairtrade Africa is an independent non-profit organisation in its own right, owned by its members – that is, the African producer organisations that are certified against international Fairtrade standards. Currently, the organisation represents over 1,050,000 producers across 33 countries in Africa. As the charity says in its own words, “Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers. It’s about supporting the development of thriving farming and worker communities that have more control over their futures and protecting the environment in which they live and work.” By ensuring that workers are paid fairly for their labour, Fairtrade not only impacts those individual lives, but can impact the wider economy as a result. We are talking about more than just chocolate throughout Africa, the charity is involved also in the farming and production of coffee, tea, cotton, bananas, mango and non-traditional commodities including shea butter and rooibos tea. These producers, and the products that eventually hit the shelves that they supply, receive Fairtrade certification. This, when it comes to the products, marks them out in stores and gives consumers the assurance that the product was ethically sources, and that the farmers and workers involved were fairly paid. How, then, do producers and products earn this certification? The process is rigorous, the producers, traders and companies receiving indepth inspections and audits to make sure that they comply with the charity’s economic, social and environmental standards. Once they pass this test, not only as their products marked out in stores, but the entire value chain receives support and

36 | Endeavour Magazine

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Fairtrade Africa

protection from the charity as well. Crucially, they receive a fair price for their products, protecting them against unstable markets.

On top of the minimum price that charity members must prove their workers receive, Fairtrade farmers and workers also receive the Fairtrade Premium, which they can invest in socio-economic and environmental projects. Fairtrade also supports these farms in other ways, such as helping to establish and support long-term trading arrangements, to allow these farms to better plan for their futures. These traders are also able to fund farming activities when there is not a cashflow from sales, and yet expenditure is needed, such as harvest time. Lastly, Fairtrade Africa belongs to its members, who own over 50% of its global system, meaning that if you receive Fairtrade certification, you are granted the ability to vote on decisions in a twoyearly General Assembly for the charity. Who makes up these members? In Africa, over 410 Fairtrade

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certified producer organisations have joined. The other members represent hired labour: in these cases, the charity’s priorities are to improve working conditions, and empower workers to have more say over their futures and over protecting the environment in which they live and work. The Africa-focused charity from underneath the Fairtrade umbrella operates in four regional networks: after all, Africa is a large continent, and its business and agricultural cultures and challenges vary greatly across that continent. Therefore, the charity is divided into an Eastern and Central Africa Network (FTA-ECAN) based in Nairobi, Kenya; West Africa Network (FTA-WAN) based in Accra, Ghana and Southern Africa Network (FTA-SAN) based in Cape Town, South Africa, and a new network in the Middle East and North Africa region. When it comes to the Fairtrade Premium, farmers and workers must decide on how this is invested together. Again, this is to encourage transparency, as well as to empower workers. These funds can be invested in schools, transport, health care, sanitation, helping the environment or improving business equipment and practices. By bringing

Fairer futures

workers into this conversation, Fairtrade helps to ensure that the real needs of the community are met. In educating the public, protecting the profits of small farmers and safeguarding the rights of the individual worker, Fairtrade’s existence and persistence has moved to shift the balance of power, giving a voice and the ability to prosper to groups of people who have been, traditionally, forgotten, ignored and walked over by global business.

With this power, Fairtrade hopes that farmers can “build resilience to climate change, secure decent and sustainable livelihoods, and support women and young people.” It also supports growth and innovation within these countries and for these farms, through the building of new trade relationships, the provision of services, new systems and ways of doing things, and helping to get produce into new markets. One of these new systems is digitisation, both to streamline operations and, through clear records, to ensure

transparency and a fair access to information for their producers. The charity is also, of course, an advocate for the people it helps, addressing issues of human rights, inequality and climate change – all issues that it actively fights for, and that producers must meet a standard on in order to enjoy Fairtrade certification. It is incredible how much this charity achieves, in very real and practical terms, and beyond that, how effectively they educated the world on the existence of these issues that they battle to counter. It is hard to imagine these industries without Fairtrade, now, and it’s something that we hope never returns.

Endeavour Magazine | 39

Amazing World

Written by James Lapping

THE ORIGINAL BAKED BEANS

n Britain and other nations that practiced aggressive colonialism, a lot of so called “traditional” dishes don’t actually come from the local regions where they are revered, and are in fact imports from periods of their colonial expansion. Just a few examples for the UK include curry (the spices came from India), fish and chips (potatoes came from North America), and maybe a bit more surprisingly – baked beans!

The history of baked beans, an iconic staple food, is shrouded in mystery, as no one knows their origins for certain. However, the most likely story is that they were adapted from a Native American dish when the people in the 40 | Endeavour Magazine

New England colonies such as at Jamestown, Plymouth Rock and New Amsterdam were living in close proximity to the Indigenous peoples in the North-East region of what is now known as the United States of America. Since 1492, white Europeans were in contact with the Indigenous peoples of North America and by the 17th Century, these colonies along the east coast occupied the same regions as tribes such as the Iroquois, Narragansett and Penobscot. As the available foodstuffs in the so-called “New World” differed to that of Europe, colonists had to quickly adapt, and this included integrating Indigenous cuisine into their diets. One of the tastier dishes

that they are thought to have adopted from the tribes around them has now become one of the most popular convenience foods in the USA & UK. It is believed that the original recipe for what we now think of as ‘baked beans’ included soaking haricot beans, which are a native legume to the Americas, and then mixing them with a combination of maple syrup, venison meat and bear fat. The dish would be slow-cooked over an open fire or in a fire pit which was called the “bean hole”, either in a clay or deer skin pot. It is understandable that such a delicious-sounding dish became popular with the colonial settlers on the east coast. Many of the people had fled from European countries and cities due to religious persecution, and many of these Endeavour Magazine | 41

groups were Puritan Christians. They followed a strict regime, and this included a full day at church on Sunday.

The climate in the North-East of North America is very unforgiving and can be susceptible to many cold fronts and snowy weather, so throughout the winter and after a long day in a cold and drafty church, the worshippers would no doubt want a nice warm meal. So, a common colonial ‘life hack’ would be to prepare a large pot of baked beans on the Saturday evening, keep them on a steady heat over a fire, and then they would still be lovely and hot after church on Sundays. This can be seen as the first example of baked beans being used as a convenience food. However, there is a bit of a difference between cooking them over night in the 17th century and for three minutes on the stove in the 21st century! Over time, the recipe would be adapted, the venison would be switched out for salted pork or bacon and the maple syrup would be switched out for molasses. This version of the recipe is now

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better known as “Boston baked beans” and is still a very popular variety of the dish to this day in the region where the colonists adopted the recipe from their Indigenous neighbours. In fact, a popular nickname for the city of Boston, Massachusetts, is ‘Beantown’. The haricot bean that the dish is created from can also be known as a “Boston bean”. Baked beans continued to develop into a convenience food throughout the years and in the late 19th Century an American man named Henry J. Heinz realized the potential of canning up foods for preservation and ease. In the early days, baked beans in a can were even considered a luxury item and quickly became popular overseas in the UK. Overtime, the sweet molasses-based sauce was swapped for a tomato-based sauce, and at the start of WW1, due to rationing, the meat was taken out and the tinned baked beans became the version that is still well-loved throughout the world to this day.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

KINGS OF THE HILL Zijin Mining chevron-square-right www.zijinmining.com phone-square 0592-2933586

Zijin Mining

Copper and gold are the two shiny treasures that most occupy the efforts of dragon-like Zijin Mining, though the company also deals in many other minerals during its exploits. Working both on exploration and development, Zijin focuses on finding these minable resources and turning them into a utilisable mine-site, which it is then equipped to utilise. Whilst Chinese in origin, this group has a multi-national reach, and just as Chinese mines are well known to, it has no small slate

urrently, Zijin Mining is involved with 12 overseas projects, working not only in development but also in the mining and the smelting/refining processes. Not only this, but it also has 14 local projects throughout the People’s Republic of China. To sustain these numbers, as of 2020, the company employs a team of 36,860 people, and yet, the company was able to give the non-administrative team (aka, the people carrying out the labour) a 20% salary increase, and the admin team were able to receive 12%. In a year like 2020, this sort of care for staff was doubly important, and shows that the company must have been doing comfortably despite the challenges the world faced. We took a closer look at how true this was!

Worldwide, Chinese mining companies have a reputation for having a broad reach, but even amongst these, Zijin has one of the largest volumes of metal resources, both that in the ground and that of its product output. As you can probably gather from all this, it would take far too long to run through every single one of Zijin’s operations here, but when glancing and its impressive line-up, one is left with plenty of options to examine.

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For example, there is the Kamoa-Kakula copper mine, the fourth-largest undeveloped, high-grade copper mine in the world. Located in Lualaba in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kamoa-Kakula is an exciting element in Zijin’s line-up that will greatly boost its already high copper output. The site holds sediment-hosted, stratiform copper deposits that will take both mining and flotation methods to extract. Phase 1 of the development is almost complete: when it’s ready, this Phase will make the site capable of processing 7.6 million tonnes per year, and its annual copper production is expected to be 400,000 tonnes. When the project’s capacity is later expanded, as planned, to 19 million tonnes per annum, this mine will reportedly become the second-largest copper mine in the world, with a peak annual copper production of over 800,000 tonnes! Copper does occupy the lion’s share of Zijin’s portfolio, and yet gold also makes a notable and impressive showing. For example, the company’s Čukaru Peki site is a joint copper-gold mine located, in Bor, Serbia. Unlike Kamoa-Kakula, which is 45% owned by Zijin, Čukaru Peki is 100% owned by the company. This massive mine-site, which finally

Zijin Mining

began operation in October last year, is divided into an Upper Zone and Lower Zone. The Upper Zone has an ultra-high-grade orebody and is expected to produce 91,400 tonnes of copper and 2.5 tonnes of gold annually, with an annual peak output of 135,000 tonnes of copper and 6.1 of gold. Meanwhile, as well as its numerous mines, both active and in their development stages, Zijin Mining also owns a number of smelters and refineries. The company has seven in total: six of these are located in provinces within the PRC, but one is found within the neighbouring country of Mongolia - Urat Back Banner in Bayannur, Inner Mongolia, to be precise. Mongolia is a land filled with gold, but it is also a land with wide stretches of undeveloped land that makes for beautiful landscapes, thus far unspoiled and, hopefully, destined to remain that way. With many of its population living off the land as goat farmers or horse wranglers, and many people still living in a nomadic style that relies on this unspoiled land existing, it is gratifying to see, therefore, that Zijin’s smelter here has been credited for its green standards. This smelter in Bayannur was listed as a nationallevel ‘Green Factory’ by the Ministry of Industry and

48 | Endeavour Magazine

Information Technology in 2018, and was rated as a “National Key Clean Production Demo Company” by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology as far back as 2013. Even more impressive, a project known as the ‘Key Technologies and Equipment for Clean Smelting and Efficient Utilization of Zinc’ project, which was jointly completed by Bayannur Zijin and the Beijing General Research Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Technology Group, won the Second Prize in the National Awards for Progress in Science and Technology.

Today, Zijin oversees a gigantic operation, but every story has its beginning. For this company, that beginning came in 1986 under the name ‘Shanghang Mineral Company.’ Since then, it has rebranded and regroups, changing names and affiliations until finally, in 1998, the Fujian Zijin Mining Company Ltd emerged, and in 2000, moved over to being a shareholding company. By 2003, it was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and was ready to essentially be the company we know today.

Kings of the hill

Examining Zijin’s timeline, it is worthy of note that in 2020, when many companies were slowing down or grinding to a halt, Zijin was expanding. It not only kept moving, but made the most of the opportunity presented it as others downsized: during 2020 alone, the company acquired not just one, but three mining entities, including some giants and even a go-to household name within the Endeavour office. These three companies were Canada’s Continental Gold company, of which is acquired 68.76%, Tibert Julong Copper, of which it closely swiped the majority by acquired 50.1%, and lastly, incredibly, it also acquired 100% of Guyana Goldfields.

The following year, in 2021, not one to take the world’s general stand-still to heart, the company then announced its new Five-Year Plan, as well as its 2030 development goals. You have to respect this sort of grin: whilst many companies were moving conservatively, Zijin was not only carrying on as normal but expanding, pushing itself and thriving. With this sort of success through the difficult 2020-2022 period, we have no doubt that Zijin will

continue to do well. After all, the company has its fingers in plenty of pies, and as long as it doesn’t over-extend itself, this vast and full a slate can only go well for it. With copper and gold prices as high as they have been, this window of time can only go well! We look forward to keeping our eye on Zijin and seeing what happens next.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

KEEP ON TRUCKIN’ Volvo Trucks SA chevron-square-right www.volvotrucks.co.za phone-square +27 11 842 5000

Volvo Trucks SA

It has been almost a full century since the first Volvo trucks were made. Now, the company – already a household name for cars - is the largest producer of heavy trucks in Europe. With more than 190 markets supplied, Volvo trucks are everywhere, including Volvo South Africa. We took a closer look at Volvo’s latest additions to its trucking range, and in particular how these are geared towards the modern needs of the logistics industry.

olvo trucks and other heavy commercial vehicles began in Sweden, but they are now worldwide. The Group as a whole was founded here by Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larsson in 1927, and the first trucks and other heavy commercial vehicles began being constructed that same year. These vehicles have always been a key part of the Volvo company and brand. First released the following year, these trucks and other commercial vehicles have been through a great deal of change since their early days, as has Volvo itself. Continuing to make a range of vehicles, as well as diesel engines themselves, these products are no longer constructed exclusively in Sweden: in fact, Volvo’s team now spans 100,000 employees worldwide, with production facilities in 18 countries and sales of more than 350,000 units per year. In total, besides the obvious trucks and cars, Volvo also produces buses, construction equipment, power solutions and drive systems for marine and industrial applications, as well as offering financing and services that aim to increase their customers’ productivity. The supply of these vehicles supports the transport and construction industries through access to reliable equipment – and then, of course, there is the truck division and its extremely close relationship with the logistics sector. As Volvo says, “Our reliability is renowned, and it’s underpinned by our three core values: quality, safety and environmental care. We bring each one to life in everything we do.” How, then, do the latest additions to Volvo’s truck line reflect these values?

As a Group, Volvo claims: “We are committed to shaping the future landscape of sustainable transport and infrastructure solutions. The choices we make today define the world we live in tomorrow. Climate change, population growth and increasing urbanization are shifting the landscape of and expectations on transport and infrastructure. In all our actions, we need to consider how to reduce climate impact, use the world’s resources more efficiently, and conduct business more responsibly.” Making these words more official than a casual promise, the Group is a signatory of the UN Global Compact and a supporter of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. “We consider global trends and challenges, international norms of 52 | Endeavour Magazine

Keep on truckin’

responsible business behavior, and stakeholder expectations through our sustainability strategy when developing our work.” To this end, the company has set itself sustainability targets and a Green Finance Framework through which to accelerate its achievement of these goals, as it attempts to shift towards fossil-free solutions as much as possible. Of course, this will never be fully achievable until Volvo, and road-users, move over entirely to electric vehicles. However, Volvo is doing what it currently can to provide this option: for every major truck model that the company offers, and EV version is also on the market. In total, the company offers a remarkable range of 12 different EV truck models, each one correlating to an iconic Volvo fossil-fuel truck. In particular, we focused in on the new FM and FH models, and saw that there were indeed an FM and FH Electric also in Volvo’s line-up. So, what features set the FM and FH apart, and how have these carried over into their EVs? Volvo describes the FM as “the active driver’s workplace”, emphasising that it “combines excellent comfort with agility, convenience and outstanding visibility”.

Similarly, the FH has been designed for “life lived out on the road”, stressing that you’ll “want a truck that keeps you safe and comfortable over the longest stretches”. Whilst both models put a lot of focus on comfort (understandable, given how long drivers need to spend in them!), the FM is about visibility and maneuverability, whereas the FH is highlighted as being secure and having excellent fuel efficiency. So, have these elements made it over into the EVs? When it comes to describing these electric vehicles, it is understandable that Volvo’s main focus is on the additional aspects that these clean alternatives bring to the table. For example, in describing the FM Electric, the company has this to say: “With its low noise level and zero exhaust gases, the flexible and agile FM Electric is perfect for high-capacity grocery deliveries, container transportation, crane services and more in metropolitan areas, all with a reduced environmental impact. It can potentially also operate in zero-emission zones or at hours of the day not accessible for diesel trucks. To simplify the transition to electric transportation, the truck is

Endeavour Magazine | 53

Volvo Trucks SA

offered alongside service and support packages for charging, route and range planning, battery monitoring and more.”

low sleeper cab; sleeper cab, Globetrotter cab and Globetrotter XL cab, only lacking the Globetrotter XXL option.

This description is packed with advantages – low sound pollution, an extremely low environmental impact, and even support to help logistics companies get their drivers to grips with the new style of vehicle. However, even within that, “flexible and agile” are once again getting a mention.

Likewise, the FM has the day cab; low day cab; sleeper cab; low sleeper cab and the Globetrotter cab, only lacking the crew cab. The fact that each model offers a range of cabs allows customers flexibility in order to design the best vehicles for their specific fleet, and the fact that this line-up of options is different from truck model to model shows how carefully Volvo has thought about each of its 12 trucks’ purposes and how to cater to these. This much customisation, from a starting point of 12 base models to choose from, means it should be possible to find the ultimate vehicle for what you need.

Likewise, regarding the FH Electric, Volvo’s description almost immediately mentions that it “provides excellent comfort and a convenient overview of the traffic ahead.” Both models have retained their priorities, and they have also maintained their iconic design and look. They even offer almost all of the same cab options: the traditional FH and FM models have five or six different cabin designs to choose from, respectively, allowing you to tailor your vehicle more specifically to your fleet needs. The EV versions both offer the same selections, bar one cab each: in the case of the FH, the EV comes with its traditional counterpart’s

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However, it isn’t all newness. In aid of sustainability once more, Volvo offers and supports the option of buying a repurposed, used Volvo truck. “We design our trucks to work. And keep working – efficiently, effectively and safely. So, buying a used Volvo Truck can make perfect sense.” These used trucks

Keep on truckin’

go through careful checks, testing and tweaks, but are then available in the showroom alongside the brand-new alternatives. Bringing this element into the showroom, and offering these trucks the same level of support that a new vehicle receives, brings this option into the spotlight and gives it greater protections than turning to some second-hand dealer. This choice again reflects Volvo’s dedication to sustainability and sustainable choices. Whilst still producing fossil fuel powered vehicles in great number, it is encouraging to see the brand embrace EVs as a very real option, and to also offer alternatives to the consumption of new goods. As time progresses, we hope to see these trends take greater and greater centrestage: but, of course, as a private business, there is only so far Volvo can go, unless the market steps forwards to meet it and embrace these solutions over the non-green alternatives.

Volvo FH Electric

Volvo FM Electric

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Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

A FAST-GROWING FRONTIER Burkina Faso Chamber of Mines chevron-square-right chambredesmines.bf phone-square (226) 25 36 19 35

Burkina Faso Chamber of Mines

Created in 2011, the Chamber of Mines of Burkina (CMB) is a fairly young non-profit association that, like Chambers of Mines everywhere, seeks to represent the mining sector, both by offering advice and support to its members and, most crucially, acting as a go-between for the industry to the Burkina Faso government.

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urkina Faso is the home of some hot-property mine sites. Over the past few years, more and more of the mining companies we’ve spoken with have dropped Burkina Faso into conversation as the new, promising frontier, and now, it has officially risen through the ranks to being one of the African countries richest in mineral resources. This makes the role of CMB all the more important. For the companies involved – especially those local to Burkina Faso – up to date, correct information on laws, regulations etc. is extremely helpful, and full transparency can make sure that these large resources are handled fairly for everyone. CMB offers both. At present, CMB represents about 50 companies, both local and international, covering mining exploration, mining operation and geoservices such as surveys and analysis. For these companies, one of the major resources that CMB contributes is its website: this undertaking is essentially a giant online database, easy to use, but containing anything and everything that someone could want to know about mining in Burkina Faso. This

A fast-growing frontier

includes information on all currently active mining operations, those which have recently been halted, those in development and those under construction. It also offers comprehensive statics on just about everything mining-related in the area, such as staff, investments and revenues. As Adama Soro, the President of the Chambre of Mines Burkina, has to say about this extremely thorough resource himself: “By taking the initiative to create this site, the Chamber of Mines of Burkina ranks among its major objectives, the communication and exchange of information relating to mining issues with other chambers of mines, national institutions and international organizations related to the mining industry in Africa and around the world. “Our wish is that this site be for all, a strategic framework of information that is both relevant and clear both on the mining resources of Burkina Faso and on all the mining actors through the extractive industries of our country. Furthermore, the ambition of this site is to constitute a database available at any time and

place, for the enrichment of research work on the mining sector in Burkina Faso and beyond our borders.” Accessible anywhere with an internet connection, this resource is straight-forward yet game changing – and, it is only one of the many services CMB offers. In total, CMB lists its objects as the following: To defend the interests of its members and those of the mining industry in general; To promote, develop and defend the competitiveness of the mining industry in Burkina Faso in partnership with the administration; To communicate and exchange information relating to mining issues with other Chambers of Mines, National Institutions and International Organizations related to the mining industry in Africa and around the world; To identify and promote cooperative relations with any organization, association or

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Burkina Faso Chamber of Mines

institution having objectives similar to those of the Chamber of Mines of Burkina Faso; To carry out any operation of any kind, likely to promote, directly or indirectly, the objective pursued by the Chamber of Mines of Burkina Faso, its extension and its development In particular, in light of the recent pandemic, CMB compiled a report updating its members on the “Situation of mining companies in operation in 2020”, to make those in the industry aware of what each other were doing and how/if they had been affected by the repercussions of COVID-19. However, it also produces such reports other years, with a less critical bent in mind. When thinking about a Chambre of Mines, one may simply think about mine-owning companies themselves making up the members, but in fact, many of CMB’s members are essential suppliers to the industry, which makes this information on current operations and developments all the more beneficial for those members to access, and it also makes the Chambre itself a fantastic networking opportunity between companies that might need each other.

60 | Endeavour Magazine

One such member of JMS Drilling – a Burkinabased mining drilling company that has been operating only a year longer than the Chambre itself. This company provides both drilling equipment and services to local mining ventures. Based out of Somgandé in Ouagadougou, not too far from CMB’s own Ouagadougou headquarters, the company was founded by three people - JeanYves, Mario and Serge – all of whom had 20 years of experience in the mining industry each. Stocking equipment by Caterpillar, Toyota, Ford, John Deer, Mooroka and Kenwork, JMS brings major names and the level of quality connected to them to their clients’ mining operations, as well as the expertise of their well-trained drilling teams. Equipped with both, the services they are able to offer include diamond drilling, grade control drilling, drill and blast excavations and geotech services. With members like this, the networking aspect of CMB is as useful as the other advantages it offers. All-told, we are stronger together than apart, and in CMB, members of this successful and growing industry are able to support each other, and gain support from CMB, at a crucial time in the country’s mining sector.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

BREAKING RECORDS ADNOC chevron-square-right www.adnoc.ae

ADNOC

Oil is a cornerstone of the Abu Dhabi economy. Whilst tourism is another driving factor, oil and other natural resources are the backbone. In 2019, the UAE capital’s GDP was worth US$249,169 million, with its oil sector contributing over 40% of this total. For that reason, then, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) is not only one of the world’s leading energy producers, but it is also instrumental in the UAE’s growth, and Abu Dhabi’s in particular.

ounded in 1971, ADNOC has held its position through many of the highs and lows of the oil & gas sector. Today, it has a production capacity of more than 3.5 million barrels of oil and 10.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day. With a team of 50,000 employees overall, the enterprise is vast, and as such, it is no surprise that the entity is broken down into smaller branches that focus on different areas of its operations. These include ADNOC Drilling; ADNOC offshore and ADNOC LNG, to name but a few. In total, the company covers the entire hydrocarbon value chain. As it says itself, “We have a network of fully-integrated businesses for exploration, production, storage, refining, and trading, as well as the development of a wide range of petrochemical products.”

“With an ambitious we continue to look maximize the value applying the latest mutually-beneficial

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outlook for the future, for innovative ways to of our resources, while technology, developing partnerships, and

Breaking records

ADNOC

driving In-Country Value.” It is true that since 1971, the market that ADNOC operates in has changed a great deal, and with the responsibility for the use of UAE’s energy resources on its shoulders, it has had to stay creative and responsive when responding to these shifting conditions and demands. The pressure is not simply about profits, or even simply about energy: in the eyes of ADNOC, its continued success means continued success for Abu Dhabi itself. As the company states; “Our work plays a crucial role in Abu Dhabi’s global emergence. We have enabled our people to realize their remarkable potential, helped create thousands of jobs, driven economic growth, and invested in education and research for the future. Together, we are committed to sustaining our positive impact in the communities where we operate and the Abu Dhabi economy for generations to come.” To explore this success, at least on the company’s side, means an examination of some of the company’s current projects, and the giant has plenty to examine. For example, the Crude Flexibility

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Project is set to complete this year, having cost an investment of US$ 3.5BN, and this is still only one of several current undertakings. The aim of the Crude Flexibility Project is to enhance the processing capabilities of ADNOC’s refinery in Ruwais, which in turn will up the company’s capabilities when it comes to which grades of crude it can process in general. Before this project, ADNOC has generally been limited to Murban grade crude, extracted from onshore sites, but this project should allow it to be able to process sourer and heavier crude grades. This includes Upper Zakum, which is currently extracted from Abu Dhabi’s offshore fields, and 50 other such varieties of crude oil from around the world. Upon completion, the project’s capacity will be 420,0000 barrels at this grade per day, and will also increase the volume of premium grade Murban crude available for export. Another major project is the Ghasha MegaProject, the world’s largest offshore sour gas development. The completion of this project will be a major step towards the UAE achieving its goal of gas self-sufficiency. When ready, it is expected to produce more than 1.5 billion standard cubic feet of natural gas per day! Meanwhile, as though these

Breaking records

two massive projects weren’t enough, ADNOC is also engaged in a less typical endeavour, and this one is also the largest of its kind in the world. This time, it’s the world’s largest 3D on and offshore seismic survey across Abu Dhabi, with the aim of locating potential oil & gas reservoirs up to 25,000 feet below ground level. This, again, would lend towards the UAE’s gas self-sufficiency aim, as well as its 2030 growth strategy. The images will be received by ADNOC’s Thamama Subsurface Collaboration Center, and are being conducted and analysed in collaboration with the Environmental Agency - Abu Dhabi. This is to make sure that the surveys themselves are carried out in an environmentally friendly way, and also because the reports from the sightings can double as useful information for the agency. As well as showing the locations of potential oil & gas deposits, they will also indicate sightings of marine life such as dugongs, turtles, and dolphins. Hopefully, the drilling of the former will also, therefore, be carried out with careful respect for the latter. Finally, again towards these 2030 aims, ADNOC is working on unlocking what are known as unconventional gas resources. This means gas that

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Endeavour Magazine | 67

ADNOC

is trapped in rock pores – these tiny pockets are often too difficult or time consuming to reach, but overlooking them can overlook a vast resource. Given that gas deposits are finite, companies are beginning to turn their attention to such pockets. Already, ADNOC meets 50% of the UAE’s natural gas needs, but as we’ve said, it is aiming to double this and achieve total self-sufficiency. In November 2019, the Supreme Petroleum Council announced the discovery of 160 trillion standard cubic feet of recoverable unconventional gas resources: adding this to its portfolio could contribute an additional 1 billion cubic feet per day, which would go a huge way towards achieving this goal.

Unconventional gas can be accessed with the use of hydraulic fracturing to bring it to the surface. ADNOC first began this venture in 2016, and to date, it has carried out over 90 such operations. In 2018, the company signed the region’s first unconventional gas concession agreement: it was signed with TOTAL, granting a 40% stake in the Ruwais

68 | Endeavour Magazine

Diyab Unconventional Gas Concession, while ADNOC retained 60%. Overall, the vision for the project was a sevenyear exploration period, which ADNOC is currently nearing the end of, followed by 40 years of development and production. Of course, that 2030 deadline cannot be forgotten, and it aims to have met its needed gas goals by that date. Everywhere you look, ADNOC is taking on ‘world’s largest-ever’ projects, and all with this 2030 goal in view. If that goal is reachable, ADNOC is officially doing everything it can to meet it. What is the future of fossil fuel, and should we be pursuing it? ADNOC is certainly committed to making the most of this finite resource whilst it remains, and to waste as little of it as possible in the process.

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Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

TARGETING TALENT BP South Africa chevron-square-right www.bp.com phone-square +27 11 488 5111

BP South Africa

It’s likely that almost everyone has heard of bp. Operating over 17,000 sites in over 80 countries across six continents, this fuel company gets everywhere. Within that reach, it has been operating within Africa for over 100 years. In 2011, this presence pulled back a little, with the global giant ending its activities in five African countries, yet Southern Africa remains a key focus, with South African and Mozambique pegged as key growth markets.

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lobally, bp employs over 80,000 people – that’s a staggering operation! It’s no wonder: fuel literally makes the world go around, and whilst bp is delving into renewable fuels, it can’t be denied that its focus remains on fossil fuels and, whether we like it or not, it also can’t be denied that our world still uses those fuels everywhere. Petroleum is not only used in transportation, but in energy, engine lubricants, paint, packaging and even clothes! Focusing in on this vast group’s activities in Southern Africa, bp’s activities in this part of the continent have revolved around oil and gas exploration, crude oil import and refining, and the distribution and marketing of gas and refined products. These various areas are covered by a range of bp’s branches: bpUltimate fuels, Air bp, bp Marine and Castrol. With its head office in Rosebank, Johannesburg, BP Southern Africa (bpSA) brands, as available at its petrol stations, include bp Ultimate fuels, Wild Bean Café, Pick n Pay (PnP) Express and bp Express convenience brands. There are over 500 such service stations across South Africa alone. This is the public-facing side of the business – the one that probably springs to mind first when hearing the name bp. However, for every service station, there is the supply behind it. Towards this, bpSA owns a 50% share in SAPREF, one of the largest refineries in Africa (the other half of this JV being owned by Shell). Located in Durban, South Africa, this bp/Shell refinery has stood since 1967, and today, it is capable of processing 180,000 barrels a day. With demand for fuel as high as it is, these sorts of numbers are essential for meeting demand. In addition, SAPREF oversees Single Buoy Morring for bpSA, through which South Africa received 85% of its crude oil imports. With all of this fuel being imported and refined, bpSA needs somewhere to store it. This Southern African entity possesses six fuel storage terminals in total, though not all of them are fully owned by bp themselves. Whilst two are 100% bp properties, those in Alrode and Pretoria are owned in a 50/50 split with Sasol, one in Island View is shared in a similar 50/50 split with Shell, and one in Rustenburg is split three ways between bpSA, Astron and Engen. Whichever the terminal, however, whether fully or 33% owned, bp invests in quality. As the company states about these fuel storage terminals, “We invest in our terminal infrastructure to provide world

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class road and rail gantries, fire-fighting capability, d responsiveness tanks and ritising health andpipelines.” Safety, efficiency and reliable equipment are key – especially when storing this combustible resource. As the company says itself:

“Safety is our top priority, with investments in systems and infrastructure to ensure safe, reliable and compliant operations.

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“Furthermore, our investment plan creates employment opportunities and drives economic growth in the country. It is also important to note that the investment plan is aligned with bpSA’s objectives of sustainable skills development and meaningful broad-based economic transformation.” Taking care of its products is an important responsibility for bp – especially as doing so also takes care of the people and environment around it. This duty to its people and to Southern Africa is something that the company also takes seriously. As the quotation highlighted, one of these duties of care are, of course, to bpSA’s own staff.

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Endeavour Magazine | 73

 Independent Estimating

 Quantity Surveying

 Estimate Validation, Review & Audit

 Contract Management

 Project Cost Control

 Procurement

 Commercial Management

 Investment Assurance Reviews (Project Management and Project Controls)

 Risk Analysis (QRA)

 Cost Management

 Administration

 Expediting

 Mine Closure Cost

 Scheduling  Benchmarking

BP South Africa

Out of bp’s global 80,000 strong team, bpSA employs around 1000 members of staff, and the company is dedicated to keeping its employment practices inclusive and diverse. Its current statistics reflect this: its staff are 45% made up of employees who identify as female, 55% Male, from the floor to the executive level. 64% are African, with the rest of their team coming from a range of backgrounds, and, as a BEE Level 2 employer, at executive level its team are 72% black employees, 27% White, with many Indian staff also in the team. In a wonderful example of all this, Ms. Taelo Mojapelo was appointed as bpSA CEO in June 2020, making her the second African woman in the history of SA’s oil and gas industry to head a multi-national company.

More and more, we are seeing major corporations look beyond their walls and offer support not only to their own teams, but also the communities around them through CSI outreach. bp describes itself as committed to this mission: “bp is committed to investing in the communities where we operate and believes in these communities meaningfully. This has led to a firm understanding of local needs to support the sustainability of local communities. The overall aim is to achieve sustainable socio-economic development for all beneficiaries with the belief that this will positively impact the business itself.” In the case of bpSA, these programs are largely run under or in conjunction with the bpSA Education Foundation, which invests in infrastructure and resources for local education. These efforts include the Targeting Talent Programme (TTP), which runs in partnership with the University of Witwatersrand to empower learners from under-resourced schools from Grade 10 to 12, thus raising their chances of accessing further education, and with an aim of breaking the poverty cycle within households. They also include a partnership with the Nthuse Foundation in support of a skills development program for children from previously disadvantaged backgrounds. Graduate programs, Learner Focus Week and regular refurbishments of local schools to mark Nelson Mandela Month all also fall under bpSA’s commitment to education, all combining in various efforts to empower future generations and, in doing so, further empower Southern Africa. More recently, the company’s usual forms of outreach were joined by new initiatives that arose

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specifically in answer to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this difficult time, everyone pitched in, and that included companies like bp: in the case of bpSA, the fuel provider donated free jet fuel for the transportation and deliver of PPE, helped in the setting up of mobile testing units and the procurement of test kits, and provided free coffee at its service stations to those working on the front lines of the crisis, including the armed forces, the SA police and emergency medical staff. Every little thing helps, from behind-the-scenes aid to these free cups of coffee after a long day.

Targeting talent

Since the pandemic, fuel prices have been rising, in part as a response to Covid-related shortages, and in part, now, in response to the attempted invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces. As the world’s attention fixes on this situation, we took a look at bp to see what the company has done in response. What we found was a message from bp CEO Bernard Looney, detailing the global giant’s response:

“Every day, the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and neighbouring countries gets more desperate – it’s just impossible to imagine what people there are going through. We’ve been looking at how we can best support. Thank you for all your suggestions. We’re now ready with a $20 million contribution to the relief efforts, including $10 million in charitable donations: $5 million to the International Red Cross and $5 million to UNICEF, to support children and families. $5 million in food and fuel cards will be distributed at the Polish border by our retail teams, working with our NGO partners. $5 million will be given in support across Poland, Hungary and Romania, working with local aid organizations to help keep

people safe. In addition, matched-funding by our charitable organization, the bp Foundation, will be available to bp staff, with more details to follow soon. Lastly, paid time off will be available for our colleagues in Poland and Hungary as they volunteer to support refugees, and we’re looking at how we can expand that further.”

Addressing the bp team, Bernard continued; “It says so much about all of you, and bp, that your first reaction is: ‘What can I do to help?’”, concluding; “In these desperately difficult times, we continue to keep all our affected colleagues and the people of Ukraine in our thoughts.” Reactions such as this remind us that we are all human, from those working at the smallest company to those running and leader an industry giant, and whatever our product or our profit margin, some things unite us all. Responses like this are wonderful to see, and affirms bp’s duty of care both towards its staff and others, both at a SA level and with a wider global view in mind.

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Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

FUELLING UP BAPCO chevron-square-right www.bapco.net phone-square +973 17704040

BAPCO

In terms of its economy, oil is one of Bahrain’s most essential resources, and has been since the 1930s. We spoke with the Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO), the wholly Government-owned entity of Bahrain, about its role in this defining industry for the country.

il was discovered in Bahrain in 1932 - the first such find on the Arabian side of the Gulf. In many ways, this discovery went on to define Bahrain to the international community. Since the late 20th century, there have been attempts from Bahrain to diversify their economy and become less dependent on oil – for example, the country has invested heavily in banking and tourism. However, it was - and is - an oil-rich nation. BAPCO is engaged not only in Bahrain’s oil exploration, but also oil drilling, production, refining, distribution and sales. It is a major operation, owning a 250,000 barrel-a-day refinery, storage facilities for more than 14 million barrels, a marketing terminal and a marine terminal for its petroleum products. With a catalogue of customers for both their crude oil and refined products throughout the Middle East, India, the Far East, South East Asia and Africa, about 95% of BAPCO’s refined products are exported beyond their borders. In this regard, BAPCO’s main push is to collaborate and engage in all aspects of the petroleum and related industries, with the aim of maximising its contribution to the national economy. Handling such a vital resource for the country, BAPCO has pledged itself to be the pinnacle example of a business by creating value for their shareholders, customers and employees whilst constantly striving for excellence - a key watchwords of the organisation.

Today the oil industry is one of the most competitive sectors in the world, and it does not forgive errors. To promote excellence, BAPCO has taken the stance of separating the focusses of the company into different segments, to offer a strong hands-on approach to all divisions. The oil process begins with the exploration and development departments: BAPCO carries out extensive studies on a continuous basis, always making use of the latest technology, techniques and methods to look for new oil and gas prospects, as well as to obtain more accurate data on its existing reserves. Once exploration and development, a lengthy process in itself, is complete, BAPCO of course tackles drilling and production. To maintain production at optimum levels, advanced drilling techniques are applied to new and existing wells. Due to the increased demand coming from 80 | Endeavour Magazine

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BAPCO

Bahrain’s growing industrial base, BAPCO has also expanded its gas facilities to increase the natural gas production capacity. The Bahrain Refinery, which is one of the largest in the Middle East and the oldest in the GCC, refines over 250,000 barrels of crude oil every day. About one-sixth of this crude originates from Bahrain Field, and the remainder is pumped from Saudi Arabia in pipelines extending 27 kilometers over land and a further 27 kilometers under the sea before reaching the northwest of Bahrain.

BAPCO exports crude oil to world markets and sells the refined petroleum products both locally and internationally. It also supplies and sells aviation fuel at the Bahrain International Airport through its affiliate, The Bahrain Aviation Fueling Company (BAFCO), in which BAPCO is a 60% shareholder. It also provides the full requirements of natural gas to the power generating plants and other industries in the country. The organisation also works on training and development, both within their own walls and

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further afield, for the wider support of the industry. The company is delivering an ambitious human resource development programme to ensure that the skills of its workforce match the technological and business demands of the ever-evolving sector, and it also supports over 150 students in higher education across Bahrain and abroad. The training and development department ensures that Bahrain’s present and future oil and gas workers are at the level required to support the country’s needs and its high reputation within this sector. Given that their reputation is so high, and oil and gas in many ways define Bahrain in the eyes of the world, BAPCO takes quality management extremely seriously. One of the many areas of operational excellence within BAPCO is the million BAPCO Lube Base Oil Plant. The $314 million development received the Bahrain MEED Quality Awards for Projects after it went into operation in 2012, and is an area of focus and pride for the company. Mr. Kyung-Tae Kim, Vice President of Samsung Engineering was quoted as saying that the Lube Base Oil Plant was one of the largest of its type in the world, and that the opening of the Lube Base Oil Plant provided a fresh impetus to business

Fuelling up

investments in the Kingdom of Bahrain, setting a new benchmark for the use of technology in the oil and gas industry. It also boosted local employment, hiring 3000 new workers for the development phase, including 200 Bahraini nationals.

The production capacity of the Lube Base Oil Plant is 400,000 tonnes a year of Very High Viscosity Index (VHVI), Group III Lubricant Base Oils, which are products that are in increasing demand in Europe and North America, as they are needed to meet the requirements of the next generation of lubricant performance and environmental standards. The plant has therefore proven highly profitable, with the production of Group III lubricant base continuing to seem a financially attractive endeavour for the country.

As a country, Bahrain is rich in its natural heritage; the archipelago is home to more than 300 species of birds, mammals and sea life, all of which BAPCO is heavily involved in protecting and relocating where necessary. Whilst oil and gas may be said to define Bahrain to the world market, BAPCO knows that it is the country’s stunning nature, natural heritage and its cultural history that truly represents what is precious and valuable about their home; whilst they work to both further the industry and add to their economy, they also know that they cannot lose sight of the importance of protecting these treasures.

An integrated oil company, BAPCO is committed to the protection of the environment and to the health and safety of its employees, contractors, customers and the surrounding community, believing that these are integral parts of its business and culture.

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