Govt mulling establishment of gold refinery

– feasibility study to be conducted soon

The Government of Guyana is looking to modernise the gold industry with the possible establishment of a gold refinery. This was disclosed by Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman, during a recent press conference.
The Minister said that a South African company would be in Guyana shortly, to conduct a feasibility study on the possibility. Minister Trotman said that for years, the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) has been using the old method of refining gold and believed that the time has come to revolutionise the gold industry. He explained, “So, we are strongly looking at the possibility setting up a refinery, either through a

public-private partnership or wholly through Government.”
Trotman highlighted that a team from South Africa is being facilitated by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, and disclosed that the GGB was already in receipt of a number of other plans for the refinery’s establishment.
“We had looked at similar facilities in Suriname. We have received proposals from local business persons as well as far as Dubai, India, the US and Canada, so we are moving in the direction of modernising this industry,” he stated.
Minister Trotman further stressed that the time has come for the country to have its own refinery, noting that even if Guyana could not refine all of its gold; it must be in a position to refine a substantial amount.
The Minister announced that the GGB was also exploring the idea of producing commemorative coins and ingots, which would be up for sale, “people could come and buy Guyanese gold as a Guyanese or if you are a citizen of Canada or the United States. It comes with a certificate and I believe this is where we are headed.”
For several years, Guyana has used the traditional method of smelting gold. This is, however, becoming worrying. Only recently, there was a spike in the level of mercury emissions in the air at the GGB laboratory. The issue was quickly brought under control. This has prompted the Government to take a number of steps to ensure that the issue does not reoccur in the future.