Mining Intelligence and News
Tanzania

Bulyanhulu Mine

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Summary

Mine TypeUnderground
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Copper
  • Silver
Mining Method
  • Longhole stoping
  • Sub-level stoping
Backfill type ... Lock
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotThe Bulyanhulu gold mine consists of an underground mine, a process plant, waste rock dumps, tailings containment, water management ponds and associated facilities.

In 2024, GlyCat (Gylcine) project implemented reducing cyanide consumption (by 80%) and additional benefit of elimination of SMBS for detoxification.

Capital projects Upper West and Reef 2 remain a priority. Upper West boxcut completed in mid-December 2024, and decline portal started - on track to reach first ore by the end 2025.

Profile Improvement Opportunities Under Review:
- Equipping new vent raise with ore hoisting capacity to de-bottle neck lower mine
- Further Upper West decline expansion potential
- Unlock full geologic potential of Reef 2 with multiple decline access.
Latest NewsBarrick Focuses on Future Growth and Sustainable Value Creation     March 14, 2025

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Government of Tanzania 16 % Indirect
Barrick Gold Corp. 84 % Indirect
Twiga Minerals Corporation Ltd. (operator) 100 % Direct
Barrick Gold Corp. owns 84% of Bulyanhulu mine, with the Government of Tanzania owning 16%.

Deposit type

  • Vein / narrow vein

Summary:

Bulyanhulu is a narrow-vein gold mine containing gold, silver and copper mineralisation in sulphides. Mineralisation of Bulyanhulu is associated with steeply dipping Argillite units referred to as Reefs. To date, several distinct reefs have been identified, including Reef Zero, Reef One and Reef Two.

The main rock types in the mine area are bimodal mafic and felsic volcanics rocks of the West Kahama segment of the Nyanzian age Kahama Greenstone Belt. The mafic rocks are predominantly flows, overlain by a series of felsic pyroclastics and ash tuffs. Argillites occur within the mafic flows and at the mafic/felsic contact and are the principal host for the mineralization. Mafic dykes/sills, commonly lensoid along their northwest strike, are a significant part of the lithological package southwest of the deposit itself. The Bukoli Granite, which separates the Kahama belt from the Rwamagaza belt to the west, lies approximately 3 km southwest of the mine. Together with regional faults, the Bukoli Granite forms the bounds of a rhomboid-shaped greenstone domain at Bulyanhulu.

The gold mineralization, together with copper sulphides and silver, occurs in quartz veins localized along steeply-dipping structures parallel to the regional northwest strike. Nine of these extensive quartz vein systems have been discovered so far with Reef 1, hosted by a shear zone developed preferentially along the most extensive sedimentary unit, the most significant. The ore is characterized by sub continuous lenses and veins of black quartz concentrated in narrow shear zones. An initial stage of syn-depositional barren clastic pyrite has been identified, overprinted by a polymetallic hydrothermal event associated with gold and copper mineralization. Alteration, dominantly carbonatization with the major introduction of Fe, Ca, As, Zn and S, is largely restricted to <5 m around the mineralized quartz veins. Initial fluid inclusion studies suggest the mineralizing fluid was carbonic and methane-bearing at 300-450C.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Heavy Mobile Equipment

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AV - Autonomous

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Commodity Production

In Q4 2017, mine was placed under care and maintenance. Bulyanhulu is running on tailings. Underground mining was successfully restarted at Bulyanhulu in Q4 2020.
CommodityProductUnits20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Gold Metal in conc./ dorĂ© koz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe175 289 274 
Copper Metal in concentrate k lbs  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe3,9066,3916,308
Gold Metal in dorĂ© koz  ....  Subscribe3740
^ Guidance / Forecast.

Operational metrics

Metrics2024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe596 kt909 kt993 kt
Tonnes processed  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe2,103 kt1,899 kt1,622 kt2,583 kt2,361 kt
Waste  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Daily processing capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Annual processing capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe

Production Costs

CommodityUnits202520242023202220212020201920182017
Cash costs (sold) Gold USD 599 / oz **   840 / oz **  
Total cash costs (sold) Gold USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 709 / oz  
Total cash costs (sold) Gold USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 676 / oz **  
All-in sustaining costs (sold) Gold USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 806 / oz  
All-in sustaining costs (sold) Gold USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 773 / oz **   786 / oz **   1,373 / oz **  
All-in costs Gold USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 873 / oz  
All-in costs Gold USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 840 / oz **  
^ Guidance / Forecast.
** Net of By-Product.

Operating Costs

Currency202420232022202120202019
UG mining costs ($/t mined) USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Processing costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
G&A ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe

Mine Financials

Units20242023202220212020201920182017
Sustaining costs M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 2.6   3.2   9  
Growth Capital M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Capital expenditures M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 7   5.1   45.6  
Revenue M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 53   53.7   137  
Operating Income M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe -19  
EBIT M USD -31   -900.1  
EBITDA M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe -7.9   -15.7  

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNamePhoneProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required ........... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 4, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 4, 2025
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....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 4, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 4, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 4, 2025

Workforce

Total WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required 2022
...... Subscription required 2021

Aerial view:

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