As part of our ongoing commitment to promoting responsible, mercury-free gold recovery, the AGC Guyana Roadmap to Responsible Gold Project (RTRGP) conducted capacity-building workshop and live demonstration with the mining communities of Campbell Town and Princeville, Micobie Village and Tumatumari/Elpaso on August 8 and 9, 2024.These communities are located in the mining town of Mahdia, situated in region #8 (Potaro-Siparuni), Mining District #2, Guyana, South America (see figures 1 and 2 below). Recognized as indigenous or hinterland communities, each has a population of over 300 people. Historically, these communities engaged in farming, hunting, and rudimentary mining practices. However, since the 1980s, mechanization and the expansion of mining have significantly impacted their way of life.
Figure 1 - Map of Guyana highlighting mining communities where AGC workshops were held for the RTRGP
Figure 2 - Zoomed in map of Guyana highlighting mining communities where AGC workshops were held for the RTRGP
The workshops aimed to address these impacts by providing training and technical assistance to improve environmental performance, enhance mining efficiency, and increase productivity among artisanal and small-scale miners. The sessions were designed to raise awareness about the AGC RTRGP, the adverse effects of mercury on health and the environment, alternative mercury-free recovery methods, and best practices for mineral processing and occupational safety in mining.
The AGC Guyana team led the workshops in collaboration with mineral processing engineers from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), including Mr. Lincon Lloyd Bandoo, Head of the GGMC Mineral Processing Division, Anthony Persaud, GGMC Mineral Processing Engineer, and Galvin Douglas from the Guyana Mining School and Training Centre Inc.
The workshops were organized in coordination with village leaders and council members, who encouraged local miners to participate. Each session featured presentations, videos, and educational resource folders containing brochures on the AGC and RTRGP, GGMC mineral processing and recovery brochures, and a handbook on mercury-free mining technologies. USB drives containing the presentations and videos were provided by the GGMC and distributed to the miners and village council.
The workshops were interactive, with community members actively engaging in discussions, asking questions, and expressing a heightened awareness of mercury's impact and interest in mercury-free gold recovery methods and alternatives. Miners shared their experiences and expressed appreciation for the AGC team’s efforts in promoting responsible mining practices. Following the workshops, participants visited the AGC pilot demonstration site, where mercury-free mineral processing technology was showcased. In addition to the Helicoid concentrator demonstration set up by the AGC Guyana RTRGP, the GGMC engineers showcased two other mineral recovery technologies: the Blue Bowl and the Gold Cube/Warrior. These demonstrations garnered enthusiastic responses from the miners.
The communities expressed gratitude for the AGC Guyana team’s work and welcomed the project's ongoing involvement to extend within their respective communities as they are eager to collaborate and move towards cleaner gold recovery practices. The capacity-building program and live demonstrations with the mining communities underscore AGC RTRGP’s dedication to advancing responsible mining practices, collaboratively contributing to a safer and more sustainable mining sector in Guyana. The AGC remains committed to ensuring responsible practices and a secure environment for the mining industry.
The MPU (GGMC) is grateful for the opportunity afforded to participate in such an activity, giving a platform to showcase and demonstrate processing options and cleanup options available to the sector, and to contribute to raising awareness of the same among key stakeholders.At both locations the participants were quite engaged in the activity and the sessions were most interactive. The verbal feedback on the technologies demonstrated were all positive, especially seeing gold recovered in the systems. I think these activities were beneficial to stakeholders and served to not only raise awareness of the technologies available but notable interest by various participants in possibly procuring pieces.
L. Lyncoln Bandoo Jnr., AIChE, MRSC
Chemical EngineerMineral Processing Unit (Mines Services Division)
Guyana Geology and Mines Commission
(T): Head Office:+592-225-6691 ext. 1308 /R&D Facility: +592-444- 3346/2632/6262, (M): +592-610-2832
Email: lloyd_bandoo@ggmc.gov.gy
Senior Member: American Institute of Chemical Engineers (Lic: 009900963957)
Member: Royal Society of Chemistry (Lic: 719133)
www.ggmc.gov.gy
The outreach with AGM was exceptionally very informative. From the perspective of a government employee and miner. The display of the technology (helicoid) in action was a great selling point. It reinforced the idea of mercury free recovery as a realistic goal and not a pipeline dream. It is of my belief that with increased engagement of this capacity and scale that significant impacts can be made on the culture of mining in Guyana towards a more stable and mercury free sector. Overall, I give this exercises a 10/10.
Garvin Dougles
Field Technician Mining School and Training Centre Inc (MSTCI)
Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC)
Aug 14, 2024, 9:20 AM
"On behalf of Campbelltown, I want to express our gratitude for the recent AGC Roadmap to Responsible Gold workshop. Sessions like these are incredibly valuable for our community, as they offer practical insights into mercury-free gold recovery and highlight the environmental and health benefits associated with these practices. We are eager to apply what we've learned and look forward to future collaborations. We hope the project continues to expand and bring similar opportunities to other communities. Thank you for your commitment to sustainable mining and community engagement."
— Earl Gildary, Village Leader, Campbelltown- Feedback made after the engagement session Aug 8, 2024. "
Attending the AGC Roadmap to Responsible Gold workshop has been eye-opening for me. Before this session, I had no idea that gold could be recovered without using mercury. I learned about new methods and alternatives that I didn't know existed. I'm grateful for the opportunity to gain this knowledge and hope that more projects like this will come to Micobie Village. These workshops are incredibly beneficial and help us improve our practices and ensure a healthier environment."
— Earson Williams- Miner, Micobie Village. Feedback made after the engagement and demonstration session August 9th 2024.
The AGC USDOS-funded Roadmap to Responsible Gold project aims to bolster existing national strategies for cultivating a legal, professional, and mercury-free Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) sector in Guyana. The project's core objective is to identify suitable technologies and business models for mercury-free gold production within the ASGM sector.
Since its launch in March 2023, the 36-month project has achieved significant milestones:
1. Establishment of Three Key Partnerships:
2. Signing of MoUs/Agreements:
3. Site Selection and Assessment:
4. Strengthening of the Local Team:
5. Completion of Various Reports:
1. Geo-Technical Report for the Site:
2. Handbook on Mercury-Free Technologies:
3. Business Planning for the Social Enterprise:
4. Installation of Mercury-Free Mineral Processing Technology:
5. Optimization of Miner Operations:
6. Development of Communication and Public Awareness Materials:
7. Hosting of Workshops and Capacity Building Programs:
1. Preparation for Directors' Visit to Guyana March 12-16 2024:
1. Development of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework:
2. Execution of Study on Gold Price Discovery Mechanism:
This summary provides an overview of the AGC Roadmap to Responsible Gold project, highlighting achievements, current activities, and projections for the future. Pictures and videos from field visits done to the varying mine operation during the site visit assessment will be uploaded to google drive and shared on completion. The AGC Guyana project has made several achievements since its launch. Most of the work done was to create in-country partnership and scope and select a pilot site for project development. The project is within its next phase moving towards mercury free technology installment, training and demonstration.
