Characteristics
A narrow-vein gold mine containing gold, silver and copper mineralisation in sulphides. Mineralisation of Bulyanhulu is associated with steeply-dipping reefs. A number of distinct reefs have been identified including Reef Zero, Reef One and Reef Two.
Life and reserves
Bulyanhulu’s life-of-mine is currently estimated to be more than 25 years, based on its proven and probable gold reserves of 11,026,000 ounces.
Location
The mine is in north west Tanzania, in the Kahama district of the Shinyanga region, approximately 55 km south of Lake Victoria and 150 km south west of the city of Mwanza, a regional business and economic hub.
Capacity
The Bulyanhulu process plant has the capacity to process an average of 3,300 tonnes of ore per day, (or c. 1.1 million tonnes per year). It operates around the clock, 365 days a year.
Access
Good, with a private airport and local unpaved roads connecting to the main highway close to Kahama.
Climate
The average annual temperatures range from 15°-35°C. Average annual rainfall in the region is 953mm.
The site
The mine consists of an underground mine, a process plant, waste rock dumps, tailings containment, water management ponds and associated facilities. The mine is an underground trackless operation using long-hole stoping as its principal mining method, and it is transitioning towards narrow-vein conventional cut and fill mining as its principal mining method.
People
As at 31 December 2010, a total of 2,940 people were employed at Bulyanhulu, consisting of 2,437 Group employees and 503 contracted personnel.