20 Years Of BIOX Celebrated By Obuasi Mines

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MD Obuasi Mine making a presentation  to a security supervisor at the Plant
MD Obuasi Mine making a presentation to a security supervisor at the Plant

The installation of the BIOX process for the treatment of the refractory gold concentrate at the Sansu Sulphide Treatment Plant at Obuasi, compared with other processing methods, was a major breakthrough for the BIOX technology.

The technology, which depends on bacteria bacillus ferroxidents, was first introduced IN West Africa by the former Ashanti Goldfields under the watch of Dr Sam Jonah.

The BIOX process was selected by the then management of Ashanti Goldfield Company, after an extensive metallurgical test work programme and was selected on the basis of five factors: reduced capital; low Operating Costs, low technical risks, low environmental Impart and Simplicity of Operation.

The plant was designed to treat nominally 720 tpd concentrate in three identical modules of six 900 m? reactors, treating a concentrate containing 11.4% Sulphide sulphur and 7.7% arsenic. It was successfully commissioned in February 1994, two months ahead of schedule, and exceeded the design sulphide oxidation in May 1994. It must be noted however that the front end of the plant with the mills were first switched on to start milling transition ores on the 26th September, 1993.

The satisfactory performance of the plant, thanks to the collaboration between Ghanaians and expatriate engineers and metallurgists working in Obuasi, led to the installation of a fourth module in 1995 to increase the nominal throughput rate to 960 tpd. concentrate. As one of the experts puts it: ?The successful installation and operation of the Sansu BIOX plant clearly demonstrates the scale-up potential of the process using the modular design??

The simplicity and ease of operation is also demonstrated enabling the use of the technology in remote locations. Process optimization and innovations have led to significant savings in operating cost while maintaining steady operation of the BIOX reactors. ?We are all aware of the various modifications and expansion that were made since 2000 and are still being made currently to meet the projected increased tonnage in future?, says Victor Benewoe, Senior Manager, in charge of the plant.

Cross section of STP employees at the programme
Cross section of STP employees at the programme

To Kwesi Enyan, Managing Director of Obuasi mine, after 20 years of the use of the BIOX technology in Ghana ?the question that continues to pop up in my mind is: have we achieved the five objectives which led the company to invest in this gigantic project? I really don?t have the answers but you definitely have. Twenty years is certainly too long a period for us to be more than qualified gurus and experts of this technology?.

Addressing the grand finale of the celebration, Kwesi Enyan said ?with the Obuasi Mine constrained by multiplicity of challenges, this is the time for us to shake our mentality, coalesce and collaborate with each other to move out of our slumber. We need to plan collectively, optimize our meagre resources and work together to sustain and expand what we have achieved. More importantly we simply need to radically improve the way we work on the mine?.

He continued? ?as employees, we have to be disciplined, stay away from theft and collusion, work hard, focus and be conscientious in whatever we do here? adding that ??we should engage with one another vertically and horizontally to ensure we work responsibly and safely?.

Dying collectively, a little bit for the company will go a long way to ensure the future we want to build here. With your thematic highlight of increasing recoveries in the near future, let me say you couldn?t have chosen the right and opportune message. More than 6.4 million ounces of gold has been processed and produced through the Biox technology in Obuasi and AngloGold Ashanti and Golden Star are the only mining companies in continental Africa using the technology.

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