A public scoping meeting will be held on August 22 in Bartica regarding a proposed US$12 million open pit gold mine by Sun and Sand Mining Resources in the Cuyuni/Mazaruni.
In an ad in the Sunday Stabroek yesterday, the Environ-mental Protection Agency (EPA) informed that the meeting will be held at the Boardroom of the Regional Democratic Council, First Avenue, Bartica. “The purpose of this meeting is to allow members of the public to express concerns or suggestions that should be covered by the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for this project,” the ad said.
The ad noted that the project would entail the development of an open pit mine that involves clearing of vegetation, removal of topsoil and mining of alluvial deposits and construction of ancillary facilities, ground water wells, underground fuel storage tank, and processing plant. The project will also include development of access roads within the concession and upgrading of existing access roads.
Earlier this year, Stabroek News had reported that the company plans to invest a total of US$12M into its proposed Region Seven mine. Named Quartzstone Gold Project, B-45, the intended mining operation is expected to have a life expectancy of 85 years, during which time initial capital expenditure for construction is projected to be in the order of US$10M, with another US$2M for sustaining capital over the life of the mine.
“Sun and Sand Mining Resources Inc. will deploy approximately 75 fuli- time people over the next 10 to 12 years of mine life through a mining contracting company,” the company’s project proposal states, while noting that the project will employ approximately 25 people over the half a year construction and development period.
Sun and Sand Mining has applied to the EPA for environmental authorisation for the mine. The EPA has said that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is required. The scoping meeting is part of the process.
Sun and Sand Mining has already acquired 12,512 acres of land for its proposed project though an arrangement with owner of the quarry company, BK International, Brian Tiwari.
The company anticipates that with a target of 41,900 tonnes of gravel per month, it will garner some 44kg of gold monthly.
Detailing its proposed mining scheme, the company states that the appropriate method for mining for secondary deposition “is open pit employing conventional mining cycle deploying excavator and tipper combination.” Sun and Sand says that the ore will be processed onsite to produce a final doré bar that will be shipped off for further refining.
Processing of the gold will be done using a gravity separation circuit from a super miner plant that the company proposes to acquire.
Although it did not give a timeline, the company states that the entire project was a three-step one, with Stage 1 being Land Clearance and Preparation of Camp; Stage 2 Land Clearance and Commissioning of Processing Plant; and Stage 3 Mine Development and Operations, including interline and approach roads.
The company had said that it would have completed baseline environmental studies relevant to its proposal last year. “These baseline studies will provide the information necessary to ensure the project minimizes its environmental impact and balances the needs of the project with those of the communities and other stakeholders,” it added.
Sun and Sand Mining is an affiliate of Sun and Sand Hotels, which had planned to build a US$54 million five-star hotel and casino at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara before that project stalled.
In 2014, the company had told Stabroek News of its interest in gold mining. Director of the Sun and Sand Group of Companies Bhushan Chandna had told this newspaper in July 2014, that the company was moving ahead with diversifying its business ventures in Guyana beyond the planned hotel at Liliendaal.
Chandna had revealed that the Indian company would be applying for a mining licence and had already applied for a logging licence although he could not say when exactly the paperwork was sent in.
With the hotel project stalled questions are likely to arise about the application for mining authorisation. There is a widely held view here that many companies are coming here with promises of large investments in hospitality and value-added timber but who are really interested in logging and mining.
