Showing posts with label Gold mining in Cambodia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gold mining in Cambodia. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Promise of Riches Lures Many to 'Forest of Gold'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsujdCqbBlI

Promise of Riches Lures Many to ‘Forest of Gold’

In their search, however, the miners expose themselves to the risks of dust, mercury and other chemicals used to purify gold. (Photo: by Say Mony)

Monday, 30 April 2012
Say Mony, VOA Khmer | Ratanakkiri province, Cambodia
“It’s up to luck.”
Poor villagers are increasingly looking for gold in a remote province of Cambodia following the recent skyrocketing price of the precious metal. But in their rush to find this buried fortune, they are at great risk of dangerous chemical exposure and malaria.

Phon Pheak and a few of his family members came to dig for gold here in Phnom Pang mountain in the village Prey Meas, or Forest of Gold, some 90 kilometers from Ratanakkir province’s Banlung city, with the international price of gold continuing its ascent.

The 24-year-old man, from Oyadav district, about 30 kilometers away, says he’s looking for gold to support his family back home.

Tuesday, January 03, 2012

Chinese mine where workers were killed is under tight security

Prayers for the mine workers killed (Photo: Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer)
02 Jan 2012
By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Translated from Khmer by Soch

The Chinese mine which received the authorization to operate by the ministry of Mining and Energy at the end of 2011 to explore for gold is located in Sambo district, i.e. 40 km from Kratie city. The 13-km access trail to reach the mine from the national road is difficult to access.

About 7 km on the trail, one reaches the O’Po village, located in Kbal Domrey commune, Samdo district. There, a checkpoint is set up by the Chinese company with strict guard manned by the Kratie province cops. At this checkpoint, reporters are not allowed to get in following the incident which led to the death of Cambodian workers inside a mineshaft, however, [today] a group of reporters are allowed to enter because the military police stationed at the checkpoint know them.

On Thursday, inside the Xing Yuan Kanng Yeak mine, a praying ceremony was taking place to commemorate the spirits of the workers who were killed.

Today, there are not many workers there, only 4 or 5 of them can be seen. The workers gave an interview to VOA, telling us that more than 90% of the workers left to return home after their co-workers died.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Cambodian Gold Rush Lures Foreign Giants

A Cambodian man looking for gold at O'Clor village in Mondulkiri province, some 550 kilometers northeast of Phnom Penh. (AFP Photo)

June 23, 2011
AFP

O'Clor, Cambodia. Squinting in the harsh midday sun, Ry Kuok emerges slowly with a bag of rocks on his back from a hand-dug mine in a remote corner of Cambodia known as the "Gold Forest".

He's one of hundreds of prospectors searching for the yellow metal in the isolated village of O'Clor in northeast Mondulkiri province, where a modern-day gold rush is threatened by the arrival of foreign mining giants.

On a good day, the 29-year-old can earn about $12.50. Not bad in a country where a third of the population survives on less than a dollar a day.

The work is dangerous, difficult — and completely illegal.

Carried out by tens of thousands of Cambodians across the impoverished country, the practice has been quietly tolerated by the government for decades.

But that is about to change as companies move in and invest millions of dollars to develop a gold mining industry, leaving no room for illegal prospectors.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Gold potential for Cambodian mine positive for Astra Mining

Tuesday, June 21, 2011
By Astra Mining

Astra Mining, an Australian diversified mining company, has received its first report on a gold exploration lease in Cambodia showing the area has the potential to host a significant gold deposit.

The 222 square kilometre lease in the Ratanakiri Province of Cambodia is part of Astra’s global portfolio of exploration interests.

Astra Mining CEO, Dr Jaydeep Biswas, says while the report is preliminary and assay data from samples collected in the field are yet to be received, early indications are that a small tonnage of high-grade ore is immediately accessible for processing.

“The site inspected by our consultant geologist indicates an extensive system with the potential for large tonnage economic gold deposits,” Dr Biswas says.

Monday, May 31, 2010

Yuon companies eye Khmer gold mining

Cambodian gold mine attracts Vietnamese enterprises

Monday, 31/05/2010
Source: VnExpress

VietNamNet Bridge – Some Vietnamese companies plan to extract a recently discovered gold mine with ore reserves of 8.1 million tons in Cambodia, one of the biggest mines in Southeast Asia.

Australian OZ Minerals Limited found a gold mine with huge reserves in Mondulkiri in northeastern Cambodia, capturing the interest of Vietnamese gold traders.

The Sydney Morning Herald quoted OZ Minerals as calculating the gold content to be as much as 2.3 grams per ton, or 605,000 ounces (17.1 tons). With the current market price (one ounce sells for $1200), the Mondulkiri refined gold is valued at over $720 million.

Mondulkiri is located near the Vietnamese border, some 100 kilometers from Buon Me Thuot.

Agribank Jewellery Company General Director AJC Nguyen Thanh Truc, who has extensive experience in extracting, producing and trading gold and precious stones, remarked that a content of 2.3 grams per ton is low, and that developers expect above three grams.

Truc added that this gold mine may have the largest reserves in Southeast Asia. He revealed that AJC may join the gold rush in Cambodia. In fact, many Vietnamese enterprises have had plans to extract and develop gold mines in Cambodia for a long while.

Nguyen The Hung, General Director of the Vietnam Gold Investment and Trade Corporation, mentioned that the Mondulkiri is the first big mine that Cambodia has ever located.

“It would be a good opportunity for Vietnamese businesses to extract gold in Cambodia, though the capacity and technology of Vietnamese contractors is not high,” Hung mused.

According to Hung, Cambodia does not have a good mining industry and must rely on foreign technology.

To date, Vietnamese enterprises have focused on making investments in Laos, where there are many mines and the gold extraction technology has developed. Laos does not have any mines with such big reserves like Mondulkiri, but still 100-200 kilograms of gold are being extracted every month.

According to VnExpress newspaper, Vietnam’s investment capital in Cambodia has reached one billion dollars. A lot of mining enterprises have been licensed to invest in Cambodia, but no gold mining project has been submitted to the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

“Mining is a good business and the investment procedures in Cambodia are simple. However, it is still necessary to consider the extraction costs and the characteristics of the mine, as well as corporate management capability and transportation costs,” observed Deputy General Director of Phu Nhuan Jewellery Company, Nguyen Tuan Quynh.

In Vietnam, Bong Mieu is the biggest gold mine, managed by Quang Nam Mineral Company and a Cambodian partner. In 2006, the joint-venture began extracting Ho Gan mine, one of three in Bong Mieu area. The ore reserves are estimated at 521,600 tons, while the average gold content is 3.85 grams per ton. The mine produces 600 kilograms a year.

Some experts believe that the 8.1 million ton Cambodian mine will not have a big impact on regional supply and demand, nor on gold prices. The ore may be carried abroad for refining and the output will not be big enough to affect the market. Currently, Cambodian gold reserves are at a low level, therefore, it is likely that Cambodia will use the gold for reserve or domestic consumption.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

The Yuons want a share of Khmer gold ... will Hun Xen comply to his masters' command?

Vietnamese firms set on mining gold reserves in Cambodia

5/28/2010
Thanh Nien News (Hanoi)

Many Vietnamese companies want to enter the gold mining sector in Cambodia

The recent discovery of around 8.1 million tons of gold in Cambodia has caught the interest of many Vietnamese companies who now want to enter the gold mining sector in the neighboring country.

Nguyen Thanh Truc, director of Agribank’s subsidiary in charge of trading gold, said the Cambodian mine has the largest gold reserves in Southeast Asia and its discovery has encouraged Vietnamese companies to hatch plans to mine there.

When the time is right, his company will make such a move, Truc said in a report published by local news website VnExpress Friday. However, he noted that as the ore contains only 2.3 grams per ton, lower than the usual grade of 3 gram per ton, the project may not be highly lucrative.

Cambodia said Monday that Australian firm OZ Minerals had discovered around 8.1 million tons of gold on its territory. The gold mine is located in an area in the northeastern province of Mondulkiri, which is close to the Vietnam-Cambodia border, and only 100 kilometers from the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak.

Some 60 local and foreign firms including companies from Australia, China, South Korea and Vietnam have been conducting mineral research and exploration across Cambodia, AFP reported, citing an official.

“It will be a great opportunity if Vietnamese companies can invest in the mine, although local technologies are not to a high standard,” said Nguyen The Hung, general director of Vietnam Gold Investment and Trading Company.

Cambodia still depends on foreign mining companies and many Vietnamese firms have recently expanded their business to the neighboring country, Hung said.

Vietnam’s companies have invested a combined US$1 billion into Cambodia, with many projects in the mining sector. However, the Ministry of Planning and Investment has not yet licensed any gold mining projects.

Nguyen Tuan Quynh, deputy director of Phu Nhuan Jewelry Company, one of Vietnam’s largest gold traders, said mining is a profitable business and it’s quite easy to apply for licenses to invest in Cambodia.

However, mining costs, conditions and transport are some issues that Vietnamese companies have to consider before making their move, Quynh said.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Cambodia's gold, mineral find

May 24, 2010
AFP
London-based Global Witness has alleged that Cambodian earnings from natural resources, including minerals, are being 'jeopardised by high-level corruption, nepotism and patronage.' The environmental watchdog said Cambodia had enough natural wealth to wean itself off foreign aid but that international donors must do more to ensure the assets are properly managed.
PHNOM PENH - CAMBODIA said on Monday that Australian firm OZ Minerals had discovered around 8.1 million tonnes of gold on its territory, ahead of a conference intended to draw in mining investment.

Some 60 local and foreign firms including companies from Australia, China, South Korea and Vietnam have been conducting mineral research and exploration across Cambodia, an official said ahead of the international mining conference starting in Phnom Penh on Wednesday.

'We have been conducting research and we have obtained remarkable results,' said Sok Leng, head of the General Department of Mineral Resources at Cambodia's Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy, at a news conference.

OZ Minerals Limited had recently discovered about 8.1 million tonnes of gold in an area in the north-eastern province of Mondulkiri, said Mr Sok Leng. Other minerals including gold, iron ore, and copper had been found elsewhere in the country, he said.

Douglas Broderick, representative of the United Nations Development Programme, which is co-organising the conference with the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy, said Cambodia's mining sector would continue to develop. 'Obviously, we would like to see (the) mining conference encourage investment,' Mr Broderick said during the briefing.

London-based Global Witness has alleged that Cambodian earnings from natural resources, including minerals, are being 'jeopardised by high-level corruption, nepotism and patronage.' The environmental watchdog said Cambodia had enough natural wealth to wean itself off foreign aid but that international donors must do more to ensure the assets are properly managed.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Cambodia gold play estimate disappoints

March 19, 2010
BARRY FITZGERALD
The Sydney Morning Herald


OZ MINERALS has an initial gold resource of 605,000 ounces in the bag at its Okvau project in Cambodia. It is the first deposit in what OZ hopes will eventually prove to be a new mineral district.

Drilling on high-priority prospect areas within a three-kilometre radius of Okvau (8.1 million tonnes, grading 2.3 grams of gold a tonne) is planned.

While some in the market were disappointed that the initial resource estimate was not bigger and of a higher grade, OZ managing director Terry Burgess said it was ''a pleasing start'' for the group.

OZ is out to rebuild its mining portfolio after last year's drastic refinancing forced the sale of all its mines with the exception of the Prominent Hill copper and gold mine in South Australia.

The Cambodian gold play could yield a sizeable replacement project in time. But OZ's best near-term opportunity to increase its operational base will come from merger and acquisition activity. Mr Burgess has made clear that OZ will not be rushed, even if it has $1.2 billion in cash to fund the right sort of deal.

Mr Burgess said the initial resource in Cambodia had now given OZ the confidence to keep working in the area with the goal of proving up at least 2 million ounces of gold.

''Okvau is the only prospect we have tested in any sort of detail and there are a number of similar-looking targets to explore,'' Mr Burgess said. ''It is very early days for what is an entirely new mineral district."

Credit Suisse said that given the early nature of the Cambodian gold push, it would not want to value the interest at more than $120 million or 4¢ an OZ share.

''OZ sees strong potential to take this asset to 2 million ounces, but as a copper-focused miner the development/sale strategy beyond this is uncertain,'' the broker said in a research note.

Wilson HTM valued the initial resource at $42.4 million or 1.5¢ a share. It previously had valued the Cambodian gold interests at a nominal $1 million.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Basileia to Develop Gold Mine in Cambodia

25 Nov 2009
Korean Int'l Trade Association

A Korean-American businessman has secured a mining opportunity for precious and base metals in Cambodia amid soaring metal prices in international markets.

Jonathan Kim, chairman of Basileia Cambodia, secured for his company the rights to explore a gold mine in Andong Bor ― about 410 kilometers northwest of Phnom Penh ― after leading the company's successful effort to purchase 90 percent of the developing licence ownership Liberty Mining International Pty Ltd. (LMI) of Australia has held on the 363.5 square kilometers mine.

Kim signed the contract to set up a 9:1 joint venture, Basileia Mining Corp., with Richard Stanger, managing director of Liberty, in late October, a company executive said.

Yoon Dong-yeol, senior executive and vice president of Basileia, said that the two parties also inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on joint explorations of five other mines in the northeast part of the country. The mines have deposits of oil, gas, iron ore, coal, bauxite, copper and other precious metals, according to Yoon.

The Bo Sup Trup gold mine is estimated to have deposits of gold worth 1 trillion won to 3 trillion won in five veins that have been confirmed so far, including one with an estimated 440,000 tons of gold ore, with 15 grams of gold to be produced per ton, he explained.

The joint venture is ready to simultaneously conduct a geological survey and drill the mine from December, as it has completed a check of the drilling survey LMI had already drawn up, he said.

The gold mine has been internationally recognized and was registered as the No. 1 mine in a report on the natural resources of Cambodia issued by the United Nations in 1993.

"This is the biggest success I have achieved in five years since jumping into the mining business in Cambodia. We will explore and drill the mine in full scale from 2010," Jonathan Kim said in a press release.

"In a bid to help Korea secure mineral and gas mines, which they are in desperate need of, we will step up efforts in developing natural resources in Cambodia. We will also play a leading role in guiding Korean businesses hoping to invest or do business in the Southeast Asian nation."

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Southern Gold 'strikes gold' in Cambodia

July 14, 2009
AAP (Australia)

Southern Gold Ltd says it has found significant gold mineralisation at one of its projects in Cambodia.

The gold junior found "a number of prominent gold intersections" during its first reverse circulation drilling program, the company said.

Shares in the company leapt on news of the discovery, which identified gold intersections as rich as 8.8 grams per tonne.

Other metals including silver, copper and zinc also were located at the site.

Southern Gold managing director Stephen Biggins said the maiden drilling program validated the company's confidence in the area.

"I am delighted with the results of this first-pass drill program and look forward to aggressively following-up these results," Mr Biggins said in a statement.

At 1107 AEST, shares in Southern Gold were up 1.5 cents, 15 per cent, to 11.5 cents.