Mine excursion
Strict control has ensured that B2Gold’s Otjikoto
Mine is one of the most efficient low-grade gold
mines in Africa, writes Leon Louw, who recently
visited the mine during a road trip to Namibia.
Navachab was originally owned by the
Erongo Exploration and Mining Company
(70%), in partnership with the Metal
Mining Company of Canada (20%) and
Rand Mines Exploration (10%). AngloGold
acquired a 70% interest in the mine in 1998,
after which it bought all the shares in 1999.
In 2004, AngloGold and Ashanti merged to
form AngloGold Ashanti.
www.miningmirror.co.za
In June 2014, AngloGold Ashanti sold
Navachab to QKR, a private company
in which Namibia’s state-owned mining
company Epangelo is a partner. QKR still
operates the mine today.
Canadian-headquartered B2Gold
acquired the Otjikoto project through a
merger with Auryx Gold in December
2011. The company received a mining
Mark Dawe, country manager and managing
director of B2Gold.
FEBRUARY 2019 MINING MIRROR [15]