| Tulawaka Gold Mine | |
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Tulawaka Gold Mine
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| Location | Biharamulo |
| Region | Kagera |
| Country | Tanzania |
| Owner | |
| Company | African Barrick Gold (70%) Northern Mining Exploration Ltd (30%) |
| Website | ABG website Northern Mining website |
| Year of acquisition | 2000 (Barrick) |
| LSE TSX |
ABG MDN |
| Production | |
| Financial year | 2009 |
| Ounces of Gold | 94,000 |
| History | |
| Opened | 2005 |
| Closed | 2011 (expected) |
Tulawaka Gold Mine is a combined underground and open pit gold mine located in the Biharamulo district, in the Kagera Region of Tanzania. It is operated by African Barrick Gold, who ownes 70% of the mine. The remaining 30% are owned by Northern Mining Exploration Ltd.[1]
It is one of four gold mines African Barrick Gold, a subsidiary of Barrick Gold, operates in Tanzania, the other three being Bulyanhulu, Buzwagi and the North Mara Gold Mine. In the financial year 2009, the four operations produced a combined amount of 716,000 attributable ounces of gold.[2][3]
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Gold mining in Tanzania in modern times dates back to the German colonial period, beginning with gold discoveries near Lake Victoria in 1894. The first gold mine in what was then Tanganyika, the Sekenke Mine, began operation in 1909, and gold mining in Tanzania experienced a boom between 1930 and World War II. By 1967, gold production in the country had dropped to insignificance but was revived in the mid-1970s, when the gold price rose once more. In the late 1990s, foreign mining companies started investing in the exploration and development of gold deposits in Tanzania, leading to the opening of a number of new mines.[4]
The original discovery of the deposit at the Tulawaka mine was in 1998, with production beginning in 2005. The mine is a joint venture between African Barrick Gold and Northern Mining Exploration Ltd., who hold 70% and 30% stakes respectively. Barrick acts as the operator of the mine.[5] In 2008, the mine shifted from an open pit operation to an underground mining operation.[6] Barrick acquired Tulawaka, alongside Buzwagi, as part of its acquisition of Pangea Goldfields Inc. in 2000.[7]
In 2010, five illegal miners were killed trying to extract gold from an abandoned open pit near the Tulawaka mine, while five more were seriously injured,[8][9] after being buried alive.[10]
In 2009, Tulawaka employed 546 people. As of 2009 there was an expected mine life of only two years remaining but successful underground drilling results may extend the life.[1]
Recent production figures for the mine:[1]
| Year | Production | Grade | Cost per ounce | Tonnes processed |
| 2007 | 178,000 ounces | 12.50 g/t | US$ 265 | 433,921 |
| 2008 | 211,000 ounces | 16.36 g/t | US$ 217 | 381,788 |
| 2009 | 94,000 ounces | 6.87 g/t | US$ 413 | 445,398 |
| 2010 |
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