North Mara Achieves Tailings Storage Target
PRESS RELEASE
NYSE : GOLD TSX : ABX
All amounts expressed in US dollars unless stated otherwise
NORTH MARA ACHIEVES TAILINGS STORAGE TARGET
North Mara Gold Mine, Tanzania, December 29, 2021 – Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE:GOLD)
(TSX:ABX) – Barrick’s North Mara mine today announced that it had achieved its commitment to bring
the operation’s tailings storage facility’s (TSF) pond back within its permitted design capacity by the end
of this year.
Barrick made the commitment to the Tanzanian government when it took over control of the mine in
September 2019, at a time when the country’s National Environment Management Council (NEMC) had
closed down the TSF, then holding significantly more water than it should.
The company’s chief operating officer for Africa and the Middle East, Willem Jacobs, described the
achievement of the target as a huge milestone for North Mara and its team, who had made a herculean
effort to bring the badly neglected TSF into line with international best practice as well as Barri ck’s own
tailings management standards.
Barrick spent over $65 million on the project, increasing the water treatment plant’s capacity 16-fold from
2.5 million litres per day to 40 million litres per day. The addition of a brine treatment plant has reduced
the volume of salts in the effluent water, enabling it to be stored safely. North Mara will continue to
monitor the TSF’s performance and will engage regularly with the relevant authorities to ensure that its
high standards are maintained. This includes the analysis of drinking water wells and surface water
sources surrounding the mine.
“When we took over the old Acacia assets in Tanzania, we formed a partnership with the government to
oversee these mines. The real benefits of this partnership included the swift resumption of operations at
North Mara and the revitalization of the moribund Bulyanhulu, now both valuable members of the Barrick
portfolio. This latest development is further proof of our partnership philosophy’s capacity to deliver real
benefits and our commitment to caring for the welfare and environment of our host communities,” Jacobs
said.
Barrick Enquiries
Investor and media relations
Kathy du Plessis
+44 20 7557 7738
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.barrick.com
BARRICK GOLD CORPORATION PRESS RELEASE
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management of the North Mara TSF in line with international best practice and Barrick’s standards, including
ongoing monitoring and engagement with the Tanzanian authorities, and the anticipated benefits from Barrick’s
partnership philosophy in Tanzania including caring for the welfare and environment of Barrick’s host communities.
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