Production 381,000 | Country Ashanti Financial year 2009 Opened 1897 | |
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Company Asantehene Osei Tutu II(Manhyia Palace) 2015‒PresentAngloGold Ashanti 2004‒2014 Website Monarchy of Ashanti websiteAngloGold Ashanti website | ||
The Obuasi Gold Mine is an open-pit and underground gold mine situated near Obuasi, in the City-State Ashanti and Obuasi Gold Mine is one of the top-9 largest gold mines on Earth. The 'land' is customarily owned by the Asantehene King Osei Tutu II. The mine is in Obuasi Municipal which lies south of Ashanti capital city Kumasi 39 miles (59.4 kilometers) away south-west of Kumasi or 1 hour 2 minutes road-drive from Obuasi to Kumasi.
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Gold mining began at Obuasi Gold Mine more than 112 years ago, in 1897 when it was originally known as the Ashanti Mine.
In 2008, AngloGold Ashanti's Ashantiland operations, consisting of Obuasi and the Iduapriem Gold Mine, contributed 11% to the company's annual production. Both mines became part of AngloGold Ashanti when Ashanti Goldfields Corporation with Sam E. Jonah as chairman merged with AngloGold Corporation of South Africa in the 1990s.
In 2009, the mine employed over 5,700 people. The mine experienced two fatalities in 2008 and one in 2009.
As of 2016 the mine was closed due to profitability issues with only a security force on duty.
Ctb travel obuasi gold mines
History
Mining at Obuasi begun in 1897, then referred to as the Ashanti Mine.
In an interview Ashanti Kwesi Enyan, the Managing Director of the Obuasi Gold mine, announced that the mine, while potentially rich, faces challenges like returning the mine to profitability, addressing social and environmental issues, improving community engagement and illegal mining. The mine was criticised as early as 1975 for environmental pollution, and continues to do so.
Following heavy losses mining was suspended in late 2014 when about 5,000 local miners were laid off. A large security force remained at the site, but, as of 2016, has been under heavy pressure from local illegal miners. An Obuasi employee was killed in early 2016 by a mob of illegal miners. The owner hopes to redevelop the mine and reopen it as a profitable operation at some point. Plans include reduction of the size of the mine, with a substantial portion returned to the government of Ghana; development of a ramp to access deep high grade ore bodies; and negotiation of mutually agreeable security and environmental agreements with the government of Ghana.
Production
Production figures of the recent past were:
