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An employee at B2Gold Corp’s Fekola
exploration camp, 5km from the mine site
in Mali, tested positive for COVID-19 in
mid-April.
Given the positive case occurred
“some distance” from the Fekola mine,
operations continued at full capacity at the
time of print.
After testing positive, the employee was
immediately isolated and was reportedly
in a stable condition with only moderate
symptoms while still in quarantine in late
Kogi’s Nigerian April.
subsidiary KCM country Meanwhile, the entire exploration group NEW DATES ANNOUNCED SOON
manager Alabi Samuel within the Fekola exploration camp were
with Kogi managing isolated and contact tracing for anyone
director David Turvey and the affected employee may have come
KCM project geologist into contact with on site or within the
Sunday Awoyemi at the community completed.
Agbaja project, about All individuals identified by the contact
120km south of Abuja
tracing residing outside of the Fekola
exploration camp were also immediately
Kogi embraces placed into quarantine.
In a statement the company said a
wide range of preventative measures
against the coronavirus had also been
communication implemented in Mali, including restricting
the movement of people and goods
between Bamako and site.
“As part of these contingency plans,
ife goes on and so will the Agbaja cast is at feasibility stage, with potential devel- the Fekola mine had commenced
Lsteel project in Nigeria, Kogi Iron Ltd opment of the project about three years a full isolation of all staff on site [to
managing director David Turvey told Pay- away. be completed by April 19] related to
dirt recently. By Q3 2021, Kogi hopes to have spent operations. This will further improve
Navigating the nuances of COVID-19 is $5.5-7 million on the feasibility study. social distancing measures and continue
of immediate concern, nevertheless Kogi Most of the spend will be dedicated to to protect all stakeholders in the area
has detailed plans to spend a $10-14 mil- steel tests and plant design to determine of Mali where the company operates.
lion in the next 12 months to progress the the viability of a conventional process flow All these measures were put in place in
feasibility study on Agbaja, near Abuja. sheet, while a range of cost assumptions close consultation with the Government,
“Funding is of course a requirement and will also remain ongoing. the Fekola mine workers union, the
we need to do some steel test work in vari- Ore reserve drilling and mine planning communities near the mine and the
ous countries, including South Africa, US are priorities, too, with $2-3 million budg- employees operating on site,”
and Sweden, but it is more the funding eted for such activities. the statement read.
side of things. We withdrew some funding Agbaja – considered Nigeria’s only iron
some months ago and we will wait for the ore deposit qualified under JORC stand-
volatility to settle down,” Turvey sad. ards – has a current indicated and inferred
“The investors we did have lined up at resource of 586.3mt @ 41.3% iron which Turvey said Kogi had not experienced
the 11th hour remain interested at the ap- Kogi plans to upgrade in due course. that in Nigeria, largely because most of its
propriate time. We do have money in the Agbaja has been identified as a project workforce were locals, however, he was
bank from a previous raise, we have been of significance in Nigeria, which has long confident it wouldn’t be an issue in country.
very mindful to preserve cash, both admin- sought to diversify its economy from the “I do like this requirement by everyone
istratively in Australia and in an operational dominant oil and gas sector. for fair and reasonable communication.
sense in Nigeria. All discretionary cash Kogi hopes to fulfill the Government’s For whatever reason, my communication
has been deferred, stopped or revised be- expectations by providing jobs and rev- has improved, you think about people, you
cause of the lead times of the expenses enue to Africa’s second largest economy communicate more with your family and
related for the feasibility study. and Turvey appears focused on using the in a slightly different way. It flows through
“Life goes on as far as the feasibility current situation to strengthen the com- to some commercial reality even down to
study goes, but funding will be significantly pany’s bond with the tiers of government foreign investment policy, mining law and
impacted and most of it will come from Eu- in country. the like; I see these things as longer-term
rope and London,” he said. Furthermore, Turvey said COVID-19 benefits of better communication,” Turvey
For some time now Kogi has aspired to had highlighted the value of clear commu- said.
offset Nigeria’s reliance on importing 3-5 nications. “Within your organisation it is very key
mtpa of raw steel material by developing Some media have reported that West- because you are providing some leader-
an iron ore and steel project tailored to erners in parts of Africa were being target- ship and you are empowering people.”
domestic consumption at Agbaja, about ed by locals who believed that outsiders
120km south of Abuja. were responsible for spreading the coro- – Mark Andrews
The integrated iron ore and steel project navirus.

Page 46 MaY 2020 aUSTRaLIa’S PaYDIRT