Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE:GOLD) (TSX:ABX) – Since Kibali went
into production 10 years ago it has not only grown into Africa’s
largest gold mine, it has also opened a new mining frontier in the
DRC and stimulated the development of a thriving regional economy
in the country’s North-East province, says Mark Bristow, Barrick
president and chief executive.
Speaking at a media visit to Kibali today,
Bristow said the mutually beneficial partnership between the
company and its local stakeholders, notably the government,
contractors, service providers, employees and the community, had
demonstrated that it was possible to build and operate a
successful, world-class mine, run by host country nationals in one
of Africa’s remotest corners.
In the 13 years since the acquisition of the
property which became Kibali, it has invested more than $4.6
billion in the DRC, with payments to: local contractors and
suppliers alone amounting to almost $2.4 billion; $1.4 billion
going to the government in the form of royalties, taxes and
permits; salaries amounting to $621 million; and the investment of
$196 million in infrastructure development and community
support.
“Kibali has multiple partnerships with local
businesses, many of which we have actively mentored, such as the
all-Congolese team that built the mine’s Azambi hydropower
station,” Bristow said.
“Kibali’s three continuously upgraded hydropower
stations and their battery back-up system have put it in the lead
of the Barrick group’s green energy drive. At present,
approximately 80% of the mine’s power requirement is provided by
renewable energy sources and this will rise when the planned new
solar plant is commissioned in 2025, further reducing Kibali’s
carbon footprint as well as its costs.”
For the fourth successive year, exploration more
than replaced the gold that Kibali mined in 2022, extending the
mine’s Tier One1 production profile to 2033 and growing reserves to
a level equivalent that in the original 2010 feasibility study,
despite producing more than 6.4 million ounces of gold since
commissioning2. It continues to explore for additional reserves to
replace depletion at Kibali and for new growth opportunities
elsewhere in the DRC.
The mine also continues to invest in the
recruitment and training of Congolese nationals, who already
account for 95% of its workforce and 76% of its leadership, with
special emphasis on the skills development of potential managers
and technicians.
The Barrick group is an industry leader in
sustainability with a strategy that holistically links the
management of challenges related to climate change, poverty and
biodiversity loss. Kibali has a particular interest in the future
of Africa’s biodiversity and will write a new chapter in its long
support for the DRC’s Garamba National Park with the introduction
of a sustainable population of white rhinos in partnership with
African Parks and the DRC people.
Enquiries:
DRC country managerCyrille Mutombo+243 812 532 441 |
Investor and Media RelationsKathy du Plessis+44 20 7557
7738Email:barrick@dpapr.com |
Website: www.barrick.com
Endnote 1
A Tier One Gold Asset is an asset with a reserve
potential to deliver a minimum 10-year life, annual production of
at least 500,000 ounces of gold and total cash costs per ounce over
the mine life that are in the lower half of the industry cost
curve.
Endnote 2
On a 100% basis. Refer to the Technical Report
on the Kibali Mine, Democratic Republic of the Congo, dated March
18, 2022, and filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and EDGAR at
www.sec.gov on March 18, 2022.
Kibali Historical Total Mineral
Reserves
|
|
|
|
Proven |
|
Probable |
|
Total |
100% Basis |
|
Tonnes |
Grade |
Containedozs |
|
Tonnes |
Grade |
Containedozs |
|
Tonnes |
Grade |
Containedozs |
Year |
Gold PriceAssumption |
Project |
|
(Mt) |
(gm/t) |
(Moz) |
|
(Mt) |
(gm/t) |
(Moz) |
|
(Mt) |
(gm/t) |
(Moz) |
2009 |
$700/oz |
Kibali |
|
- |
- |
- |
|
42 |
4.03 |
5.5 |
|
42 |
4.03 |
5.5 |
2010 |
$800/oz |
Kibali |
|
- |
- |
- |
|
74 |
4.21 |
10.1 |
|
74 |
4.21 |
10.1 |
2011 |
$1,000/oz |
Kibali |
|
- |
- |
- |
|
79 |
4.04 |
10.2 |
|
79 |
4.04 |
10.2 |
2012 |
$1,000/oz |
Kibali |
|
3.6 |
3.24 |
0.4 |
|
79 |
4.14 |
10.5 |
|
83 |
4.10 |
10.9 |
2013 |
$1,000/oz |
Kibali |
|
5.5 |
2.28 |
0.4 |
|
84 |
4.15 |
11.2 |
|
89 |
4.04 |
11.6 |
2014 |
$1,000/oz |
Kibali |
|
5.4 |
1.76 |
0.3 |
|
78 |
4.28 |
10.7 |
|
83 |
4.12 |
11.0 |
2015 |
$1,000/oz |
Kibali |
|
4.0 |
1.84 |
0.2 |
|
76 |
4.25 |
10.4 |
|
80 |
4.13 |
10.6 |
2016 |
$1,000/oz |
Kibali |
|
4 |
1.90 |
0.3 |
|
66 |
4.17 |
8.9 |
|
71 |
4.03 |
9.2 |
2017 |
$1,000/oz |
Kibali |
|
19 |
4.07 |
2.5 |
|
47 |
4.10 |
6.2 |
|
66 |
4.09 |
8.7 |
2018 |
$1,000/oz |
Kibali |
|
20 |
4.15 |
2.7 |
|
42 |
4.12 |
5.6 |
|
63 |
4.13 |
8.3 |
2019 |
$1,200/oz |
Kibali |
|
21 |
4.13 |
2.7 |
|
48 |
4.23 |
6.5 |
|
68 |
4.20 |
9.2 |
2020 |
$1,200/oz |
Kibali |
|
20 |
4.34 |
2.8 |
|
56 |
3.66 |
6.6 |
|
76 |
3.84 |
9.4 |
2021 |
$1,200/oz |
Kibali |
|
32 |
3.76 |
3.9 |
|
51 |
3.50 |
5.8 |
|
83 |
3.60 |
9.6 |
2022 |
$1,300/oz |
Kibali |
|
32 |
3.47 |
3.6 |
|
65 |
3.15 |
6.6 |
|
97 |
3.26 |
10.2 |
As of January 1, 2019, Barrick owns 45% of
Kibali as the operator, with AngloGold Ashanti owning 45% and
Congolese parastatal Société Miniere de Kilo-Moto SA UNISARL
(SOKIMO) held by the Minister of Portfolio of DRC owning 10%.
For 2019 onwards, estimated in accordance with
National Instrument 43-101 as required by Canadian securities
regulatory authorities. Complete mineral reserve and resource data,
including tonnes, grades, and ounces, as well as the assumptions on
which the mineral reserves and resources for Barrick are reported
(on an attributable basis), can be found on pages 37-46 of
Barrick’s 2022 Annual Information Form / Form 40-F on file with the
Canadian provincial securities regulators on SEDAR at www.sedar.com
and the Securities and Exchange Commission on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.
Historical reserves for years prior to 2019 were estimated by
Randgold Resources in accordance with the Australian Code for
Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore
Reserves (the “JORC Code”). The JORC Code reporting standards are
functionally equivalent to National Instrument 43-101.
Kibali Historical
Production
100% Basis |
Year |
Tonnes Milled(kt) |
Head Grade(g/t) |
Gold Produced(oz) |
Recovery(%) |
2013 |
808 |
3.87 |
88,199 |
91.5 |
2014 |
5,546 |
3.81 |
526,627 |
79.0 |
2015 |
6,833 |
3.55 |
642,720 |
83.8 |
2016 |
7,299 |
3.10 |
586,530 |
79.8 |
2017 |
7,621 |
2.87 |
596,226 |
83.6 |
2018 |
8,218 |
3.45 |
807,251 |
88.6 |
2019 |
7,513 |
3.80 |
814,027 |
88.7 |
2020 |
7,632 |
3.68 |
808,134 |
89.4 |
2021 |
7,783 |
3.62 |
812,152 |
89.8 |
2022 |
7,815 |
3.39 |
749,589 |
88.4 |
Total |
67,068 |
3.41 |
6,431,455 |
86.0 |
As of January 1, 2019, Barrick owns 45% of
Kibali as the operator, with AngloGold Ashanti owning 45% and
Congolese parastatal Société Miniere de Kilo-Moto SA UNISARL
(SOKIMO) held by the Minister of Portfolio of DRC owning 10%.
Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking
Information
Certain information contained or incorporated by
reference in this press release, including any information as to
our strategy, projects, plans, or future financial or operating
performance, constitutes “forward-looking statements”. All
statements, other than statements of historical fact, are
forward-looking statements. The words “pioneer”, “continue”,
“growth”, “opportunities”, “will”, and similar expressions identify
forward-looking statements. In particular, this press release
contains forward-looking statements including, without limitation,
with respect to: Kibali’s potential to continue to replace reserves
net of depletion; production guidance and performance, including
the extension of Kibali’s production profile to 2033; opportunities
for further growth at Kibali including potential new exploration
targets for the Kibali underground; the potential to grow the
mine’s mineral resource base; Kibali’s renewable power strategy and
the timeline for the completion of a new solar plant and
anticipated benefits from those initiatives; the anticipated
benefits from Kibali’s local recruitment and training initiatives,
including the development of local managers and technicians;
Barrick’s sustainability strategy and investment in Africa’s
biodiversity including through the reintroduction of white rhinos
to the Garamba national park; and Barrick’s commitment to the DRC
and potential further growth opportunities.
Forward-looking statements are necessarily based
upon a number of estimates and assumptions including material
estimates and assumptions related to the factors set forth below
that, while considered reasonable by the Company as at the date of
this press release in light of management’s experience and
perception of current conditions and expected developments, are
inherently subject to significant business, economic, and
competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Known and unknown
factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those
projected in the forward-looking statements, and undue reliance
should not be placed on such statements and information. Such
factors include, but are not limited to: fluctuations in the spot
and forward price of gold, copper, or certain other commodities
(such as silver, diesel fuel, natural gas, and electricity); the
speculative nature of mineral exploration and development; changes
in mineral production performance, exploitation, and exploration
successes; the possibility that future exploration results will not
be consistent with the Company’s expectations; risks that
exploration data may be incomplete and considerable additional work
may be required to complete further evaluation, including but not
limited to drilling, engineering and socioeconomic studies and
investment; disruption of supply routes which may cause delays in
construction and mining activities, including disruptions in the
supply of key mining inputs due to the invasion of Ukraine by
Russia; risk of loss due to acts of war, terrorism, sabotage and
civil disturbances; steps required prior to the distribution of
cash and equivalents held at Kibali in banks in the Democratic
Republic of Congo; risks associated with projects in the early
stages of evaluation, and for which additional engineering and
other analysis is required; failure to comply with environmental
and health and safety laws and regulations; timing of receipt of,
or failure to comply with, necessary permits and approvals;
uncertainty whether some or all of Barrick’s targeted investments
and projects will meet the Company’s capital allocation objectives
and internal hurdle rate; changes in national and local government
legislation, taxation, controls or regulations and/ or changes in
the administration of laws, policies and practices, expropriation
or nationalization of property and political or economic
developments in the DRC and other jurisdictions in which the
Company or its affiliates do or may carry on business in the
future; damage to the Company’s reputation due to the actual or
perceived occurrence of any number of events, including negative
publicity with respect to the Company’s handling of environmental
matters or dealings with community groups, whether true or not;
risks associated with new diseases, epidemics and pandemics,
including the effects and potential effects of the global Covid-19
pandemic; litigation and legal and administrative proceedings; the
impact of inflation, including global inflationary pressures driven
by supply chain disruptions caused by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic
and global energy cost increases following the invasion of Ukraine
by Russia; employee relations including loss of key employees;
increased costs and physical risks, including extreme weather
events and resource shortages, related to climate change; and
availability and increased costs associated with mining inputs and
labor. Barrick also cautions that its guidance may be impacted by
the ongoing business and social disruption caused by the spread of
Covid-19. In addition, there are risks and hazards associated with
the business of mineral exploration, development and mining,
including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or
unexpected formations, pressures, cave-ins, flooding and gold
bullion, copper cathode or gold or copper concentrate losses (and
the risk of inadequate insurance, or inability to obtain insurance,
to cover these risks).
Many of these uncertainties and contingencies
can affect our actual results and could cause actual results to
differ materially from those expressed or implied in any
forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, us. Readers
are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of
future performance. All of the forward-looking statements made in
this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements.
Specific reference is made to the most recent Form 40-F/Annual
Information Form on file with the SEC and Canadian provincial
securities regulatory authorities for a more detailed discussion of
some of the factors underlying forward-looking statements and the
risks that may affect Barrick’s ability to achieve the expectations
set forth in the forward-looking statements contained in this press
release.
Barrick disclaims any intention or obligation to
update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result
of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required
by applicable law.
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