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systems allows for savings on special-
purpose vehicles as well as additional staff,
who would conduct manual monitoring in
remote and hard-to-reach wells.
Water levels and temperatures are
monitored within a radius of 5km around the
deposit area. Between 2011 and 2014, a total
of 81 wells (with depths that varied between
20m and 270m) were bored to monitor water
levels. The wells are equipped with 81 Keller
water-level monitoring systems comprising
PAA-36 X W hydrostatic pressure (level) and
temperature probes, as well as 59 GSM-2\
GSM-2 BOX modules for automatic data
registration and transfer by GSM.
Papua New Guinea
Installation of the level tubes in hard-to-reach
locations.
The Grib diamond mine in the Mezensky District of
Russia.
www.miningmirror.co.za
Bristow cements community
relationships
On his first visit to Papua New Guinea
(PNG) as the new president and CEO of
Barrick Gold Corporation, Mark Bristow said
that the global mining group is committed
to strengthening the company’s partnership
with the government and local communities.
Barrick’s Porgera Mine has been producing
gold for almost 30 years.
During his four-day visit, Bristow
discussed the importance of strengthening
Porgera’s partnership with the community
and maintaining positive relationships with
local landowners over the life of the mine.
He also highlighted the mine’s longstanding
partnership with the state, and reaffirmed
Barrick’s commitment to engaging with
government representatives and landowners
to negotiate an extension of the Porgera
Special Mining Lease that will allow the
mine to remain productive, while also
delivering benefits for stakeholders over the
long term.
Bristow added that Porgera is a long-term
asset for both Barrick and Zijin Mining
Group that will require significant capital
investment to sustain operations. Without
the security of an extended mining lease, it
would be difficult to justify further significant
investments in the mine, he said.
The Porgera gold mine pays significant
compensation to local landowners for the use
of the land where the mine is located. The
mine has also paid over Papua New Guinea
Kina (PGK) 3.3-billion in taxes and more
than PGK520-million in royalties to the
State, making a significant contribution to the
national economy by providing a long-term
source of public revenue and supporting the
development of critical infrastructure in Enga
and surrounding provinces.
“At Barrick, we believe that our host
countries must be true partners, sharing both
the responsibility and the benefits that come
with mining,” said Bristow. “We are ready to
engage with the government to breathe new
life into this long-standing partnership, so
APRIL 2019 MINING MIRROR [11]