A REPORT ON AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM AT AGA ASHANTI

GHANA LIMTED

BY: ASANTE FESTUS BOAHEN

ABSTRACT
This report entails the various activities undertaken during my one month stay at
AGA Obuasi mine from the 1st of September to the 30th September as part of the
mandatory industrial training during the 3rd year long vacation. The report basically
entails all the things I was exposed to at the geology department which is further
divided into production, evaluation core management and exploration.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I am much grateful to God for life and for a successful internship program. Again, I
am very grateful to Mr. Eric Acheampong, all the chiefs of the various sections at
the geology department, the geologists, the technicians and all who contributed to
make our stay a successful one during this short stay with you. I am overwhelmed
by the warm reception by the geology team at AGA Obuasi mine
TABLE OF CONTENT
LIST OF FIGURES
CHAPTER ONE
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
 To gain practical experience of geological logging
 To understand exploration of mineral deposits.
 To gain an exposure to the use of geological data for resource modelling ad
estimation.

INTRODUCTION
GEOLOGY OF OBUASI
The Obuasi deposits occur along a zone of intense shearing and faulting.
Mineralisation comprises two main types: quartz veins containing high-grade free
gold, and the main sulphide ore in which narrow veins contain gold trapped within
arsenopyrite. The supergiant Obuasi gold deposit is the largest deposit hosted in the
Paleoproterozoic Birimian terranes of West Africa
Mineralisation in this belt is structurally controlled.The belt is a 300 km wrench-
fault system. The structural characteristics of the Obuasi Mine’s mineralization
consists of shear hosted quartz vein mineralization located within graphitic
structures in Birimian sediments (wackes and phyllites) and along their contacts
with Birimian volcanics and more competent Tarkwaian sediments. Quartz vein
hosted gold at Obuasi is generally “free” gold (non-refractory) and usually high
grade. Gold also occurs in silicified alteration haloes around the veins and is
associated with fine needles of arsenopyrite. This style of gold is refractory, with
gold encapsulated by arsenopyrite grains, and is usually lower grade but tends to
develop into wide zones of mineralization. Three main parallel mineralised trends
were studied in detail in Obuasi: Binsere trend; the Sibi deposit in the Gyabunsu
trend, and the Obuasi deposit in the main trend. In the Obuasi deposit, two distinct
styles of gold mineralisation occur; gold-bearing sulphides, dominantly
arsenopyrite, disseminated in metasedimentary rocks and native gold hosted in
quartz veins.
Figure 1Geological map of Ghana showing key gold belts
THE ASHANTI BELT
The Ashanti belt is one of the main belts associated with gold mineralization in
Ghana and it is over 200 km in length and is characterized by a large number of
gold deposits, including both abandoned and active mines like AngloGold Ashanti,
Golden Star Resources at Prestea and Bogoso and Goldfields at Tarkwa and
Damang. The Ashanti belt is made up of two main rock systems that are
associated with the main gold occurrences in the form of quartz vein and
disseminated type gold deposits; gold bearing quartz pebble conglomerates;
alluvial deposits and oxide deposits derived from the primary occurrences.
The Ashanti-type of gold occurrence usually features complicated quartz vein
systems commonly associated with extensive disseminated sulphides. The vein
systems almost invariably appear to be related to regional NNE to NE trending
regional structures (tectonic corridors), which are typically concentrated along the
margins of various Birimian ‘greenstone’belts and adjacent metasedimentary
basins. Although the N to NE trending ‘structural corridors’may be of prime
importance, there is increasing evidence to indicate that other structures may
have played very important roles as well, and some may be responsible for the
development of the really large vein deposits.
The recent exploration activities in the Ashanti belt have confirmed a great variety
of settings in which gold can be concentrated in commercial quantities. Epigenetic
vein systems and related disseminated sulphide gold deposits will continue to be a
major focus for future exploration. Structural controls for these vein systems
appear to be the most important feature from the explorationist’s viewpoint but it
is now believed that potential source rocks with anomalous background levels of
gold may also be important. The geochemistry of depositional sites can be
important in determining whether gold will be sufficiently concentrated to be of
economic interest.

MAIN TYPES OF MINERALISATION IN OBUASI

1. Gold bearing sulphides with arsenopyrite as pathfinder
2. Native gold hosted in quartz veins
MAIN OBUASI LITHOLOGIES
The major lithologies in Obuasi mine are the metasediments and metavolcanics
Metasedimentary rock is a type of metamorphic rock. Such a rock was first formed
through the deposition and solidification of sediment. Then, the rock was buried
underneath subsequent rock and was subjected to high pressures and
temperatures, causing the rock to recrystallize. The overall composition of a
metasedimentary rock can be used to identify the original sedimentary rock, even
where they have been subject to high-grade metamorphism and intense
deformation. Some metasediments associated with mineralization in obuasi are;
Greywacke, phyllite, schist, carbonaceous schist, graphitic schist
The metavolcanics are mainly mafic and felsic metavolcanics
CHAPTER TWO
EXPLORATION
Geological exploration is the process of finding commercially viable mineral
resource and the objective is to locate it in the shortest possible time and at the
lowest possible cost. Geological exploration for natural resources is expensive with
high risk. However, it opens new challenges and opportunities. Governments and
multinational companies are key players. Geological exploration follows a
sequence of multidisciplinary activities: reconnaissance, discovery, prospecting,
and economic mining. The exploration concept looks for a package of unique
stratigraphic age, promising favorable rocks, and type structure to host certain
groups of minerals.
TYPES OF MINERAL EXPLORATION
Greenfield exploration occurs in areas without existing operations, with the
objective of discovering a new mineral deposit that may lead to a new operation.
GREENFIELDS
Greenfield exploration occurs in areas without existing operations, with the
objective of discovering a new mineral deposit that may lead to a new operation.
Some activities carried out during a greenfield exploration are;
 Stream Sediment Sampling
 Soil and Talus Sampling
 Rock Sampling
 Geological Mapping
 Geophysical Surveys

These activities are primarily done to fetch enough information about an area
Brownfield exploration occurs near an existing mining operation and is intended
to replace depleted reserves to extend the life of an existing mine or expand
operations. This is an exploration work done in an area where previous
exploration works have taken place. At AGA, brownfield exploration has been
divided into the stages below;
  Blue-sky intangible- where there is low level of confidence over an.
Exploration holes are drilled at wide distances apart to identify
mineralisation in an area
 Blue-sky tangible- level of confidence at this stage is quite higher than that
of the blue-sky intangible stage since some holes have been drilled to know
the area of interest
 Inferred
 Indicated
 Measured
An Inferred Mineral Resource has a lower level of confidence than that applied to
an Indicated Mineral Resource. An Indicated Mineral Resource has a higher level
of confidence than an Inferred Mineral Resource but has a lower level of
confidence than a Measured Mineral Resource.
Exploration is basically done to boost the level of confidence in terms of
information about an area so as to optimize resources in mining
TYPES OF DRILLING
In AGA, there are two main types of drilling employed for exploration purposes
and these are diamond drilling and reverse circulation drilling.
In diamond drilling a drill bit with diamonds embedded in the metal structure is
used for cutting rocks into cylindrical cores. This helps to show the true lithology
of rocks from the cores
Again, subsurface structures can also be studied from the cores since they show
clearly the structured associated with the rock type. Structure like folds and faults
can be studied from the core
In reverse circulation, compressed air is used to hit a hammer against the rock to
break it into chips. In this case, no structures are shown on the resulting chips and
this method is less expensive and faster than the diamond drilling approach to
drilling
MOTIVATION FOR DRILLING
 confirming the geology beneath and/or providing samples for chemical
analysis
 To discover more deposits
 For potential ounces addition
 To define the resource
 For grade controlling
 To boost the confidence in data collected.

Figure 2 Diamond drill rig

Figure 3 Diamond drill bit with diamonds Figure 4 Reverse circulation drill bit
CHAPTER THREE
CORE MANAGEMENT
Core delivery is basically for accountability purposes. This is where all samples
whether grade control or exploration are sent to for a detailed study. Data taken
at the core yard is very important since it forms the basis for further works and is
therefore taken with care. Measures are therefore put in place to achieve this aim
CORE RECEIVAL
This ensures that drilled cores from drilling sites are successfully received at the
core yard. Certain measures are put in place to ensure a successful core delivery
process.
The receiver first of all checks for the box number, hole ID’s , the strike, dip and
azimuth of the rock which are written on the core boxes.
Ensure the vehicle that has the boxes is chocked and also that technicians coming
to carry the boxes are in their hand gloves. Check if each box has its right number
written on it
Tags inspection and resolving of recovered depth
Ensure the cores are free of hydrocarbons
After checking for all the above, a unique barcode is assigned to each box with the
tablet and referenced to the hole ID. The barcode is then attached to the box, the
boxes after being received are arranged on roller trays to be prepared for logging.
Figure 5 Core receiving

ORIENTATON MARKING
For the sake of structural measurements and to present the core as it was in-situ,
the drillers assign a small line at the bottom of the core using a reflex act tool.
When these samples are brought to the core yard, there is the need to extend
these lines along the core to mimic the original position in-situ.
The cores are arranged on a v-angle(a special tool designed for orientation at
AGA), and a horizontal line drawn to connect the cores. Arrows are then used to
determine where the bottom of the core is.
Figure 6 orientation marking

THE KENOMETER
This instrument is used for taking structural readings on the rock core. The
kenometer measures the alpha and beta of the core which are then converted to
strike and dip. Once the core is properly aligned in the tool, the user can take both
the alpha and beta angles at the same time.

Figure 7 kenometer
CORE FITTING
This is a very important process to be done before measurements are taken on
the cores. It helps in knowing core losses and also very essential in core resolution

METER MARKING
Meter marking on cores is done to accommodate core losses for every drill length.
The maximum drill length for every core is 3m depth but sometimes the recovered
length is less than the drill length. To account for the losses, a resolution of the
recovered length is calculated for every meter throughout the length drilled

CORE LOGGING
To enhace data intake and to minimize mistakes as much as possible, the logme
app developed inhouse is used by the geologist in the process of logging
Logging core samples is an essential part of mineral exploration as it helps
geologists and mining engineers determine the size, shape, and mineral
composition of an ore body. This information is crucial for making informed
decisions about the viability of a mining project and the best methods for
extraction.
The key components of logging core samples are:
 Description of lithology (the physical characteristics of the rock)
 Mineral identification and quantification
 Structural analysis
 Alteration mineral mapping
 Core recovery estimation
 Geotechnical properties
 Assaying (determining the mineral content)
The logme app has the following tabs; lithology, mineralization, lode, structure,
alteration, veining, samples, recovery, RQD, FFPM, density and weathering among
others.
In AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi mines, the rock types associated with mineralization
are metasediments and metavolcanics. The metasediments are the greywacke,
phyllite, schist, carbonaceous schist and graphitic schist (in their degree of
increasing deformation). The metavolcanics are felsic and mafic metavolcanics.
The mineralization found are the quartz veins and the sulphide mineralization. The
arsenopyrite is the pathfinder for gold in Obuasi mines. The ASP is shiny and
needle-like. The finer and more concentrated the ASP’s, the higher the gold
content but the coarser the ASP’s, the lower the grade .
The lodes are the Obuasi fissure (OBF), the hanging wall lode and the footwall
lode.
With veining, a quartz vein which measures more than 0.3m is considered as a
vein, less than 0.3m but more than 1m is considered a veinlet and less than 0.3m
is a quartz stringer. The weathering state of the core is also recorded, whether
moderate or high or no weathering.

CORE PHOTOGRAPHY
Pictures of core samples are taken for future reference. For grade control samples,
pictures are taken once since all the samples are sent to the lab. But for
exploration samples, the cores are divided into two so pictures are first taken
before splitting and after splitting.

Figure 8 core photography

CHAPTER FOUR
PRODUCTION
This aspect deals with applying geological knowledge and techniques to ensure
the efficient, safe and sustainable extraction of minerals from subsurface. Some
activities conducted at the production front are
CONDUCTING HEADING INSPECTIONS
Heading inspections are conducted after every blast because of the following
reasons;
 To identify the type of material being fired
 To know how far we have advanced
 To check the competency of the ground
 Inspect whether next blast will contain mineralization or not

VISIT TO DRILLING SITES

The diamond drilling and RC drilling sites underground were visited to monitor the
drillers and inspect how safe the drilling process is. The safety of the work is
inspected by interacting with the drillers, checking the state of ventilation at the
site, first aid kits condition, the appropriate fire extinguisher for the site, and the
appropriate PPE used at the site. The minimum PPE for underground drilling is
earplugs, a hard helmet, goggles, a nose mask, an overall, a rubber safety boot, a
self-rescuer, and a torchlight. After the inspection, the drill cores are logged by the
geologists by taking the lithology, mineralization, checking for recovery, and
inspecting the tags to ensure that everything is in order.

Figure 9 diamond drill rig underground

VISIT TO THE REFUGE CHAMBER
The refuge chamber is a place to seek refuge in the case of an emergency.
Workers are expected to respond to an emergency call underground by securing
themselves in the refuge chambers. The refuge chambers are also placed at
vantage points on almost all levels since the safety of workers is the priority

VISIT TO THE CRIB ROOM

The crib room serves as a lunchroom. This is a special place dedicated to workers
for eating and also for taking little rest. Inside this room are items provided to
make life just as on surface

ORE MOVEMENT
The production department also monitors the movement of ore from
underground to the plant. After stopes are mined, they are temporarily kept in
stockpiles underground. The ore is transported to the surface using the ODD
decline or the skip for hoisting. When the ore is brought to the surface, they are
first kept at the ODD stockpile which is the intermediate stockpile and then
transported to the ROM Pad. The truck hauling the ore passes over the weigh
bridge to record the weight of the truck together with the vehicle. The truck
later returns and weigh with empty load. The ores are sent to the primary or the
secondary stockpile at the rom pad to feed the crusher.
ORE ACCOUNTING
Ore accounting monitors the quality(grade) and quantity(tonnage) of ore from
underground till it reaches the processing plant and ensures that the right values
are presented for further works.
CHAPTER FIVE
EVALUATION
ASSAY LABORATORY
Assaying is the process of determining the metal content in ores. The following
procedures are carefully undertaken to ensure accurate assay results
 Receiving and sorting of samples
 Samples after being arranged from left to right on the collection tray is sent
to bar code scanner for data to be taken
 Weigh wet samples and put them in an oven to make it devoid of water and
later take the weight of the dried sample to find the difference
 Sample is then passed through the primary crusher to reduce particle size
to about 5mm. After crushing every sample barren material and
compressed air are used to prevent contamination. This is repeated for all
other samples.
 The samples are then passed through the secondary crusher to further
reduce the size to 2mm. Barren material and compressed air are used to
clean the crusher to prevent contamination.
 The samples are split into three at the secondary crushing stage. 25% of the
samples weighing between 800g to 1kg are sent to the milling machine.
 Here, the milling machine reduces the secondary product to fine powder of
which 30g is sampled to the lab for weighing. After weighing, sample is
added to flux and mixed to obtain a uniform mixture. It is then sent to the
fusion room to produce lead which traps all other metals in the soil sample.
 Further heating is done in the copulation oven to get gold and silver. This
product is passed through laboratory processes to separate the silver from
the gold.
The gold concentration can therefore be determined using the AAS machine
CHAPTER SIX
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
The internship program has been very educative and has thus broadened my
scope of understanding of geology. I can now practically relate what we have
studied in class so far to what goes on in the industry. The training has enhanced
my rock identification skills and also helped me to understand the need to provide
the correct results for any job assigned to me not only in the mines but anywhere
at all in the mine
The safety courses taken has also helped me improve upon my alertness to the
environment around me. It has positively changed how I see the environment and
how I react towards it.
Furthermore, I have gained experience in logging from the core yard and I also
understand why drilling is done in the first place and even the significance of the
direction and dip at which it is done.
I can now confidently say I understand the processes undertaken at various
sections at the geology department at AGA Obuasi mine and that is all due to your
unrelenting effort to teach me what I know today.
Thank you

RECOMMENDATION
The training should be extended to a minimum of six weeks to better expose
students to all activities performed at the various sections of the department