– Aurora produces 75,000 ounces of gold; set to surpass 2016 target
— PM pleased with safety, environmental safeguards

By Ariana Gordon

AN ESTIMATED 75,000 ounces of gold were produced by the Aurora Gold project for the first half of this year, Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Raphael Trotman, revealed on Saturday after visiting the operations site in Region Seven.Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo led a ministerial team to the area, managed by the Canada-based company Guyana Goldfields. Along with Trotman, others on the visit were Minister of Foreign

Affairs, Carl Greenidge; Finance Minister Winston Jordan; Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder; Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix; and Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Dawn Hastings.
Trotman said the Government is pleased with the operation and production of the mining company. “This is my third visit since becoming minister; so, on each occasion, the sense of pride and accomplishment increases”, he said.

“…we are seeing greater manifestations of a company that has a standard of excellence that is growing, and Government is quite happy with the production and operation of Guyana Gold Fields and Aurora Gold Mines, its subsidiary,” Trotman revealed.

He predicted that the company would surpass its target set for 2016, as it has currently produced 75,000 ounces of gold. He believes that, with the price of gold being where it is, the operation of the Aurora Gold Mines demonstrates a golden future.

“It is surpassing even our target; because, at the beginning of the year, we anticipated just about 100,000 ounces. It would appear that we will go beyond that for this mine alone,” he declared.

Minister Trotman described Guyana Gold Fields as an “exemplary organization,” a company that has high standards in health and safety and the environment.
“Everything is complementary, and the synergies we see here are good; and we hope they can be replicated throughout other parts of Guyana,” said Trotman.

The returns to Guyana, the Natural Resources and Environment Minister said, are good; and the company is being praised for its high gold production.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo said the level of production at Aurora Mines is “good news”, while noting that a report of 75,000 ounces of gold at half-year is “excellent for Guyana.”

He said such news provides a ray of hope to accelerate the economy and bring the “good life” to all citizens.
“I am very impressed…Aurora Gold is doing a good job for Guyana and for the company itself,” he declared.

The Prime Minister said he was satisfied with all explanations provided by the company relative to safety and environmental precautions in regard to the extraction and production of gold.

“…the explanations given convinced me that this is not only a safe operation, but this is also a worthwhile venture; and anywhere you go and you have over 500 persons being kept on site on jobs and they have performed one million man days without break in service, it shows it must have been very good methods of management relationship with the working force.

“And therefore you have a company working together with Guyanese to bring a product that the economy depends on at this point in time,” the Prime Minister said.

Asked what he would say to encourage investors to come to Guyana, given what he observed on Saturday, Prime Minister Nagamootoo said Aurora Gold is a “good investment, a sound investment.”

“The rewards are showing now, and they are very encouraging for new investors. There is a good prospect for gold mining and investment in Guyana,” he said.

He said that, after three years, he believes the mining company is here to stay; and based on the plans outlined to the ministerial team on Saturday, the Prime Minister has been convinced that “not only do you have a viable product under mining and extraction, but it has some sustainability; because there are plans that are long-term in terms of expanding the production areas, producing alternative energy, (and) in terms of accommodating the work force. (There is) an environment that is more permanent than you’d fine in camps.”

Additionally, Prime Minister Nagamootoo said there is a ripple effect that would be conducive to community development, as the company takes safety and the environment seriously.

“Any company that wishes to come to Guyana with the same objective would be welcomed. Aurora Gold Mines is a model that one can look to for future this is a (massive) big time investment here of millions and millions of US dollars. It is a work in progress, and it is has shown, so far, very good results.”

Like the Prime Minister and the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Finance Minister Winston Jordan was impressed with the operation of the company. Saturday was his first visit to the mining location, and he said he was overwhelmed.

“I would say Guyana is on the verge of major transformation, and now is the time to get in, particularly when…gold prices are at a level where you can make an investment and get a decent return,” he declared.

Minister Jordan said that with the added incentive of oil, investors have every opportunity to come to Guyana.

“Now is the opportunity to put a foothold and then ripple the rewards,” he said.

Asked to speak to the returns to Guyana, given the production levels, the Finance Minister said, “The returns to Guyana are absolutely fantastic! As you know, sugar has not been doing well, and I don’t think it is going to be doing well in the foreseeable future.

“Rice had some slippages, and bauxite is holding its own… So, to get gold to step up in the way it has stepped up has allowed the economy to continue to grow rather than regress.”

He reminded that Guyana is one of the few countries in this part of the world that continues to grow despite many uncertainties. “What I have seen here together with their plans… I think the future is golden,” he declared.

Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge said the opportunity to observe the workings of the country’s largest gold operation is important. He said Government ought to have an ability to assess first hand such operations not only in terms of production, but to assess the natural landscape and the effect the extraction and production has on the environment.

“That is a dimension that is very important for the Government. International agencies’ bilateral representatives are interested to know what is going on, and the effects on landscape…and the people,” said Greenidge.

He said it was interesting to observe the use of technology by the mining company, as opposed to how OMAI operated in the 1990s.

The Aurora Gold Mines started production in August 2015.