Ghana's mineral production dips

Ghana's total mineral production dropped slightly last year, with gold, the leader of the pack, dipping to 2,235,117.57 fine ounces from 2,381,344 fine ounces the previous year.

Mr K. Adomako Baafi, Marketing Officer of the Minerals Commission, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) Business Desk that diamond production also slipped further from 1,090,072 carats the previous year to 940,586.62 carats, while bauxite closed 2002 at 647,230.71 metric tons compared to the 2001 figure of 678,449 metric tons.

However, manganese production by Ghana Manganese Company finished last year slightly higher at 1,135,528 metric tons as against 1,076,666 metric tons posted in 2001.

Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO) produced a total of 131,858 metric tons.

Total silver production for 2002 closed at 51,716.68 ounces.

Mr Baafi said small-scale gold mining companies made up a significant contribution of 1,109,546.80 fine ounces.

He said the exact revenue derived from the sale of the minerals might not be known since the various companies sold at different prices.

He said Ashanti Goldfields Company (AGC) Group topped the production list with a total gold production of 964,752.04 ounces in 2002 from their Obuasi, Tebrebie and Bibiani mines. The company has other mines in Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Gold Fields Ghana Limited made 523,489.28 fine ounces.

Abosso Goldfields Limited produced 306,597.00 fine ounces.

Bogoso Gold Limited produced a total of 124,393.09 fine ounces last year.

Resolute Ghana Limited, previously Amansie Resources, whose bullion van was attacked by armed robbers about four years ago, produced 102,454.73 fine ounces of gold in 2002.

Bonte Gold Limited posted 46,054.39 fine ounces for the year under review.

Satellite Goldfields Limited produced 4,181.30 fine ounces during the first seven months and recorded zero in the last five months of the year.

Prestea Sankofa Gold made 2,262.96 fine ounces during the first two quarters but did not produce anything in the third and fourth quarters because it faced serious problems, while Ghana Consolidated Diamonds could produce 114.05 fine ounces only for the whole year.

Prestea Gold Resources, stalked in a crunch of an unfavourable mining environment, did not have any production for the period.

Small-scale diamond miners produced 791,907.62 carats while Ghana Consolidated Diamonds recorded 148,679 carats for the year.

Silver production in the country in the last quarter was 9,006.04 fine ounces from a high of 11,770.46 fine ounces in the third quarter bringing the total for the year to 51,716.66 fine ounces.