The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) is undertaking various projects to ensure that miners practice ‘conscious’ mining regarding recovery systems.

Acting Commissioner of the GGMC William Woolford told the Government Information Agency (GINA) that the projects will encourage miners to use jigs, a gravity method designed for gold mining, to ensure that they get 80% recovery. He said “expressions of interest” will be advertised for miners who are interested in operating at a site located next to Mahdia.

Woolford noted however, that the project is expected to be a model one where the miner must ensure that exploration results show the quantity of gold that can be obtained from a site and materials that will be used to obtain the gold and the ability to use the jig and the centrifugal concentration. The ability to reclaim, restore and re-vegetate the area will also have to be undertaken. The acting GGMC head said a decision could be taken before month end, about who would be given places to work in the area. He also said once the project is in progress, other miners will be able to benefit from it.

The acting commissioner said other ventures are being conducted with miners who have begun using jigs and centrifugal concentrators and that the GGMC will try to evaluate their performance and make the information available to other miners and the wider mining community. Projects are also being undertaken where chemical methods (cyanidation methods) are being tested and examined. “We have the different projects going and we want the mining public to be aware of them and to encourage them to mine responsibly with respect to recovery systems…we want the miners to be assured that we have listened to them and one of the things we are doing right now, we are implementing codes of conduct for all of our staff and conflict of interest document that they would all sign up,” Woolford said. He said this type of ethical and administrative training of mines officers will be good for the entire industry as it will provide better service for the mining community.

Woolford added that two more drills were recently bought and are being tested at the Omai mine site and as soon it is certified that the drills are operating effectively they will be made available for rental. The drills which were purchased at a cost of US$15,000 would be made available to medium-scale miners so that they can use them to define the reserves and resources that they have. “We are glad that the miners are working hard…the good can get better…we are pressing for continued improvement in key areas and we want to remind them that no muddy water must be put into rivers and creeks and it must be very be clear to them that they must take responsibility,” Woolford said.