WEST AFRICA
West African mines must plan for cyclical reality West Africa’s mining boom has seen many projects being developed in environmentally or socially sensitive areas, highlighting the importance of responsible mining with closure in mind, according to SRK Consulting.
Ivan Doku, SRK Consulting country manager for Ghana.
The mining boom in West Africa has brought a heightened focus on responsible mining.
“T here has been an influx of investment into gold mining in West Africa,” said Ivan Doku, SRK Consulting country manager for Ghana and a partner and principal geologist at SRK Consulting South Africa (SA). “However, while the industry focuses efforts on mining efficiently, it also needs to plan for the implications of a downturn – considering the cyclical reality.” This means implementing the best technical practice, said Doku, to optimise a mine’s efficiency so that it can remain cash-positive during a downturn – and survive these difficult times. Where the downward cycle is deep and drawn out, however, many mines may not be viable and must responsibly follow a route to downscaling or closure. Roanne Sutcliffe, principal environmental engineer at SRK Consulting SA, noted that the region’s mines support entire communities, directly and indirectly, so there are severe consequences when operations have closed, wound down or downsized. Mining projects are finite, and the negative socio-economic impact on entire communities can include the collapse of social services and infrastructure, as well as environmental degradation. “Mining companies in West Africa are starting to understand the importance of developing
strong socio-economic systems to fulfil their responsibility to host communities beyond the life of mine,” she said. Doku added that by working closely with communities, mines would be able to better plan post-closure land use. Gold price fuels prospecting Doku said the strong gold price meant that many shelved gold exploration projects in Ghana, the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea and Nigeria had now been re-started, fuelling widespread prospecting operations in West Africa. “Many majors are negotiating the repurchase and re-initiation of gold exploration projects that they sold four to five years ago when the gold price was low,” he said, adding that many greenfield mining projects had also entered into production this year. At the same time, it has become feasible for several mines to pursue transitioning to underground operations, to reach deeper, higher- grade deposits as their near-surface ore is depleted. “A mine in Nigeria, for example, recently announced plans to access deeper deposits, citing the current gold price as a motivation,” he said. Alongside activity in the gold sector, high-grade iron-ore deposits in Guinea and nickel laterite
Roanne Sutcliffe, principal environmental engineer at SRK Consulting SA.
Wouter Jordaan, partner and principal environmental scientist of SRK Consulting (South Africa).
26 MODERN MINING www.modernminingmagazine.co.za | NOVEMBER2025
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker