Ma'aden’s gold business is operated through its gold division which explores for precious and base metals within Saudi Arabia. It currently operates five gold mines in Saudi Arabia: Mahd Ad Dahab, Al Hajar, Sukhaybarat, Bulghah, and Al Amar. Ma'aden is also developing one more mining property in Ad Duwayhi and has five advanced exploration projects.
In November 2007, SRK Consulting undertook an independent mineral experts’ report on the gold mining and exploration assets of Ma’aden. You can download a full copy of the final report here (15MB pdf).
Ma'aden's current operating mines include:
Mahd Ad Dahab is situated in the western region of the country known as the Hejaz in the Al Madinah Province of Saudi Arabia. Mining is carried out by underground methods with a total tunnel development in excess of 60km and a metallurgical plant.
The Sukhaybarat site is situated in Al Madinah Province about 250km north of Mahd Ad Dahab. Sukhaybarat now comprises a carbon-in-leach (CIL) processing plant only. The Sukhaybarat plant has a rated capacity of 600ktpa and is planned to continue operations until 2014.
Bulghah is situated in Al Madinah Province about 65km south of the Sukhaybarat processing plant. It comprises an open-pit mine which mines lower grade ore for processing at the Bulghah heap leach processing facility and higher grade ore for processing at the Sukhaybarat processing facility.
Al Hajar is located in central Saudi Arabia 210km west of Riyadh. It comprises an open cut mine and the Al Hajar heap leach facility which is currently re-processing previously stacked and leached material.
Al Amar is located in the Ar Riyadh Province approximately 195km southwest of Riyadh. It comprises an underground mine which is planned to process a gold rich polymetalic ore at a rate of 200ktpa to produce gold in doré and copper and zinc concentrates which are sold to third parties for toll smelting. |
