Dawe to run Otjikoto Staff Reporter Mark Dawe has been appointed as the managing director for B2Gold Namibia. Bill Lytle, outgoing managing director, has been promoted to the position of B2Gold Corporation vice president for Africa. Bill will hand over the reins to Mark over a six-month period and, going forward, will oversee the B2Gold Corporation Africa portfolio which currently includes the Fekola Project in Mali, the Kiaka Project in Burkina Faso, and, of course, Otjikoto. The Otjikoto Mine, which celebrated its first gold pour on 11 December last year, is B2Gold Namibia’s flagship project and only the second gold mine commissioned in Namibia. Mark will take up his position on the first of February. He was previously employed as vice president for key raw materials and head of global mining operations for Solvay’s Global Business Unit: Special Chemicals. In this role he was responsible for overseeing all of the mining operations and projects of the unit; including Okorusu Fluorspar Mine in Namibia (also Otjikoto’s closest neighbour). Mark has worked in Namibia for more than 26 years and has extensive experience working with the government both as a managing director and as a former president for the Namibian Chamber of Mines. Bill Lytle says that Mark exemplifies what B2Gold looks for in leadership: “He shares a similar passion for team building and maximising employee potential. I am confident that Mark will lead B2Gold Namibia to unparalleled success and will make our company the shining star for the mining industry in Namibia. I am looking forward to introducing Mark to our staff and am excited about the future growth of B2Gold in Namibia.” One of Mark’s outstanding achievements includes being chosen by De Beers Global as a prime example of “managing a mining company with full workplace accountability”. According to Bill Lytle, “B2Gold Namibia has developed a word-class mine in record time that will add shareholder value. Additionally, we have focused on sustainability since project inception. We have put in key policies and procedures to ensure that stakeholders at all levels of the project benefit from this national asset.” The Otjikoto Mine is located approximately 300 kilometres north of Windhoek between Otjiwarongo and Otavi and is owned 90% by B2Gold and 10% by EVI Mining (Proprietary) Ltd, a Namibian empowerment group. For 2015, the Otjikoto Mine is expected to produce between 140 000 to 150 000 ounces of gold at a cash operating cost in the US$500 to US$525 per ounce range. Once the planned mill expansion is completed in the third quarter of 2015, the company expects that annual gold production from the main Otjikoto pit will increase significantly to approximately 200 000 ounces in 2016 and 170 000 ounces in 2017. Otjikoto’s gold production will also be enhanced by the development of its Wolfshag zone, adjacent to the main Otjikoto pit.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 18:00:00 +0000
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