Africa-Press – Angola. A new gold mine, located in the village of Penicacata, municipality of Buco-Zau, Cabinda province, will start operating on the 27th of April, announced the Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, Diamantino Azevedo.
Prospecting work for this venture, established in an area of 331.75 square kilometers, according to Minister Diamantino, started in 2017, but the first mine of the project went into operation in October 2021.
With the inauguration of this new mine or expansion of the Buco-Zau project, the workforce will be doubled from 120 to 220, also taking into account the increased capacity of the washing plant.
“Previously it had a washing plant with a processing capacity of 30 tons of ore per hour, but another one is being set up to treat 100t/h”, informed the person in charge.
He also referred that the mining company has a strong commitment to the environment and sustainability. During operation, works are carried out with retention basins after washing the gravel, which is the current work of washing the alluvium. “After the third crop, the water is discharged into the river, with less than 1% of soil in suspension”, he detailed.
He also explained that the mining company Buco-Zau works with the local administration and other sectors to, in the social area, help the local population.
The minister stressed that Cabinda has great potential, mainly in the area of gold, this is notorious, both with previous surveys and with current surveys, as is the case with a good part of the country.
The government official who was speaking within the scope of the days of April 27, day of the mining worker, specified that, although the prospecting work has a duration of five to 10 years, and, in some cases it is not feasible, even so in the near future , there is the possibility of the emergence of another project.
On the other hand, he congratulated the workers, especially the women, for dynamically performing their duties well, despite the challenges they face.
On the occasion, during a lecture on the theme “Women in the mining sector”, the engineer, Valência Maurício, from Sociedade Mineira de Catoca, stressed that the institution still has a lot to do so that women are better represented, at a time they make up, only 13% of the workforce, that is, in a universe of more than two thousand workers, 182 are women.
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