Sadiola Gold Mine

{{Short description|Gold mine in Sadiola, Kayes, Mali}} {{Self-published|article|date=August 2022}} {{Infobox mine | name = Sadiola or SEMOS | image = | width = | caption = | pushpin_map = Mali | pushpin_label =Sadiola Gold Mine | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Mali | coordinates = {{coord|13|53|N|011|42|W|region:ML|format=dms|display=inline,title}} | place = Sadiola | subdivision_type = Region | state/province = Kayes | country = Mali | owner = Allied Gold Corp (80%) Republic of Mali (20%) | official website = not available | stock_code = | financial year = | amount = | opening year = 1996 | closing year = }}

The '''Sadiola Gold Mine''' or '''Société d'Exploitation des Mines d'Or de Sadiola S.A''' ('''SEMOS''') '''project''' is an open-pit gold mine situated near Sadiola, in the Kayes Region of Mali. The mine was discovered based on the fieldwork of Canadian geologist [https://www.amazon.ca/Gold-Bloody-Story-Goldmines-Misadventure/dp/1540729567?ref=d6k_applink_bb_dls&dplnkId=3fabf09c-87ee-4287-aed9-3bcf3edef4de James C. Snell P. Eng]., on behalf of IAMGOLD founder Mark Nathanson. Nathanson took credit for the rich discovery, leaving Snell to fend off an assassination attempt on the streets of London England days after giving his geological report to Nathanson and financiers without payment. After years of seeking justice, Snell committed suicide in east Vancouver Canada. Nathanson became a [https://nathanson.osgoode.yorku.ca/ philanthropist] giving a large sum of money to York University in Toronto Canada. Sadiola was jointly owned by AngloGold Ashanti and IAMGOLD, who each had an effective holding of 41%, while the Government of Mali owned the remaining 18%. The International Finance Corporation originally held 6% of the mine put sold this share equally to AGA and IAMGOLD in December 2009.<ref name="Annualnine">{{cite web|url=http://www.anglogoldashanti.com/subwebs/InformationForInvestors/Reports09/AnnualReport09/f/AGA_AR09.pdf |title=Annual Financial Statements 2009|publisher=AngloGold Ashanti|url-status=dead|archive-date=2011-09-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110912032422/http://www.anglogoldashanti.com/subwebs/InformationForInvestors/Reports09/AnnualReport09/f/AGA_AR09.pdf}}</ref>

Apart from Sadiola and the nearby Yatela Mine, AGA also operated the Morila Gold Mine in Mali. The production of its mines in Mali contributed 8% to the company's overall production in 2008.<ref name="Country" >{{cite web|url=http://www.anglogold.com/NR/rdonlyres/F352EB8C-5F06-4965-88C0-33732F5836CD/0/Mali2008.pdf |title=Country report 2008|publisher=AngloGold Ashanti|url-status=dead|archive-date=2011-07-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707145231/http://www.anglogold.com/NR/rdonlyres/F352EB8C-5F06-4965-88C0-33732F5836CD/0/Mali2008.pdf}}</ref>

==History== Mining in this region of Mali, according to old workings, dates back at least 1,000 years and written records confirm that small scale mining was carried out there for most of the past 300 years. From 1987 onward, the Government of Mali carried out exploration activities in the area, funded by the European Development Fund.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iamgold.com/English/Operations/Operating-Mines/Yatela-Gold-Mine/Overview/default.aspx|title=Yatela Gold Mine, Mali: Overview|publisher=Iamgold|access-date=2010-07-28|url-status=dead|archive-date=2010-08-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100802022109/http://www.iamgold.com/English/Operations/Operating-Mines/Yatela-Gold-Mine/Overview/default.aspx}}</ref><ref name="Over">{{cite web|url=http://www.iamgold.com/English/Operations/Operating-Mines/Sadiola-Gold-Mine/Overview/default.aspx|title=Sadiola Gold Mine, Mali: Overview|publisher=Iamgold|access-date=2010-07-28|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-04-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403102230/http://iamgold.com/English/Operations/Operating-Mines/Sadiola-Gold-Mine/Overview/default.aspx}}</ref>

Non-government mining exploration in the area began in 1990 with the Société d'Exploitation des Mines d'Or de Sadiola (SEMOS) project by a predecessor company of the Canadian mid-tier mining company IAMGOLD, and, in 1992 Anglo American entered into a joint venture with IAMGOLD to develop the project. Anglo American eventually transferred its rights to AngloGold, which, in 2004, became AngloGold Ashanti Ltd (AGA). Development of the mine began in 1994 and it opened in 1996.

In 2009, SEMOS employed just over 1,500 people.<ref name="Annualnine" /> The development of the mine was however not seen as a positive project by all, as local farmers complained that they had not been adequately compensated for loss of land or loss of cattle poisoned from a cyanide spill. Clean drinking water for livestock in the area, however, gets pumped from boreholes within the mine. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=216|title=Mining reforms in Mali leave the country poorer|publisher=MAC: Mines and Communities website|date=17 August 2005|access-date=28 July 2010|last=Tamufor|first=Lindlyn}}</ref> Further exploration drilling took place in the area surrounding Sadiola, and new pits were developed. right|thumb|225x225px

The mine was jointly owned by AGA (41%), IAMGOLD (41%) and the Government of Mali(18%), and operated by AGA until December 2020. Allied Gold Corp (AGC), a private company, bought out IAMGOLD & AGA interests in the SEMOS project (80%) and now operates the mine with the Republic of Mali now owning (20%).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71185|title=IAMGOLD Completes Sale of Its Interest in the Sadiola Gold Mine|publisher=newsfile|date=2020-12-30|access-date=2022-08-24}}</ref><ref name="Over" />

==Production== Production figures of the recent past were: {| class="wikitable" ! Year ! Production ! Grade ! TCC** |- align="center" | 2003 <ref name="Annualfive">{{cite web|url=http://www.anglogoldashanti.co.za/subwebs/InformationForInvestors/AnnualReport05/report/pdf/ar_report_2005.pdf|title=Annual Financial Statements 2005|publisher=AngloGold Ashanti|url-status=dead|archive-date=2011-07-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719053855/http://www.anglogoldashanti.co.za/subwebs/InformationForInvestors/AnnualReport05/report/pdf/ar_report_2005.pdf}}</ref> | 452,000 oz. | 2.77 g/t | US$ 210 |- align="center" | 2004 <ref name="Annualfive" /> | 459,000 oz. | 2.77 g/t | US$242 |- align="center" | 2005 <ref name="Annualfive" /> | 442,000 oz. | 2.73 g/t | US$265 |- align="center" | 2006 <ref name="Annualsix">{{cite web|url=http://www.anglogold.com/NR/rdonlyres/5F4B53A4-2DE4-43EC-87AB-BDB13F5C8C1F/0/ar_report_2006.pdf|title=Annual Financial Statements 2006|date=2006|publisher=AngloGold Ashanti|url-status=dead|archive-date=2011-07-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707144403/http://www.anglogold.com/NR/rdonlyres/5F4B53A4-2DE4-43EC-87AB-BDB13F5C8C1F/0/ar_report_2006.pdf}}</ref> | 500,000 oz. | 3.22 g/t^ | US$270 |- align="center" | 2007 <ref name="Annualnine" /> | 369,000 oz. | 2.76 g/t* | US$414 |- align="center" | 2008 <ref name="Annualnine" /> | 453,000 oz. | 3.42 g/t* | US$399 |- align="center" | 2009 <ref name="Annualnine" /> | 135,000 oz. | 2.52 g/t* | US$488 |- align="center" | 2010<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReportArchive/a/NYSE_AU_2010.pdf|title=Annual Financial Statements 2010|date=2010|publisher=AngloGold Ashanti|url-status=dead|archive-date=2021-04-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210425143206/https://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReportArchive/a/NYSE_AU_2010.pdf}}</ref>

| 118,000 oz. | 2.04 g/t* | US$650 |- align="center" | 2011<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReportArchive/a/NYSE_AU_2011.pdf|title=Annual Financial Statements 2011|date=2011|publisher=AngloGold Ashanti|url-status=dead|archive-date=2021-04-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210425143230/https://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReportArchive/a/NYSE_AU_2011.pdf}}</ref> | 121,000 oz. | 1.09 g/t* | US$816 |- align="center" | 2012<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aga-reports.com/12/fs|title=Annual Financial Statements 2012|date=2012|publisher=AngloGold Ashanti|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-04-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130414110441/https://www.aga-reports.com/12/fs}}</ref> | 100,000 oz. | 1.64g/t* | US$1,169 |- align="center" |}

{| class="wikitable" ! Year ! Production ! Grade ! TCC** ! AISC*** |- align="center" | 2013<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReportArchive/a/NYSE_AU_2013.pdf|title=Annual Integrated Report 2013|date=2013|publisher=AngloGold Ashanti|url-status=dead|archive-date=2021-04-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210425143155/https://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReportArchive/a/NYSE_AU_2013.pdf}}</ref> | 86,000 oz. | 1.34 g/t* | US$1,334 | US$1,510 |- align="center" | 2014<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReportArchive/a/NYSE_AU_2014.pdf|title=2014 Integrated Report|date=2014|publisher=AngloGold Ashanti|url-status=dead|archive-date=2021-04-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210425143155/https://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReportArchive/a/NYSE_AU_2014.pdf}}</ref> | 85,000 oz. | 1.28 g/t* |US$1,028 | US$1,133 |- align="center" | 2015<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReportArchive/a/NYSE_AU_2015.pdf|title=Integrated Report 2015|date=2015|publisher=AngloGold Ashanti|url-status=dead|archive-date=2021-04-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210425143205/https://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReportArchive/a/NYSE_AU_2015.pdf}}</ref> | 69,000 oz. | 1.04 g/t* | US$818 | US$886 |- align="center" | 2016<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReportArchive/a/NYSE_AU_2016.pdf|title=Integrated Report 2016|date=2016|publisher=AngloGold Ashanti|url-status=dead|archive-date=2021-04-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210425143209/https://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReportArchive/a/NYSE_AU_2016.pdf}}</ref> | 70,000 oz. | 1.09 g/t* | US$991 | US$1,066 |- align="center" | 2017<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReportArchive/a/NYSE_AU_2017.pdf|title=Integrated Report 2017|date=2017|publisher=AngloGold Ashanti|url-status=live|archive-date=2021-04-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210425143156/https://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReportArchive/a/NYSE_AU_2017.pdf}}</ref> | 63,000 oz. | 0.96 g/t* | US$900 | US$1,019 |- align="center" | 2018<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReportArchive/a/NYSE_AU_2018.pdf|title=Integrated Report 2018|date=2018|publisher=AngloGold Ashanti|url-status=live|archive-date=2021-04-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210425143217/https://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReportArchive/a/NYSE_AU_2018.pdf}}</ref> | 59,000 oz. | 0.87 g/t* | US$938 | US$990 |- align="center" | 2019 | | | | |- align="center" | 2020 | | | | |}

* grams per tonne (g/t) of milled ore ** TCC total cash cost *** AISC all-in sustainable costs as per the 2013 Word Gold Council's formal guidelines metric

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == {{Commons category|Sadiola Gold Mine}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100716214942/http://www.anglogold.com/Default.htm AngloGold Ashanti website] * [http://www.iamgold.com/ IAMGOLD website] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20120229175018/http://www.ifc.org/ifcext/spiwebsite1.nsf/projects/C01736D0066FE2CC852576BA000E306E THE SADIOLA HILL GOLD PROJECT] ''International Finance Corporation website'' * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110722013339/http://mines.acp.int/html/mine_MLI-00035_en.html Sadiola mine (MLI-00035)] ''Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States website''

Category:Gold mines in Mali Category:Surface mines in Mali Category:AngloGold Ashanti Category:Kayes Region Category:1996 establishments in Mali