Sekenke Gold Mine
Encyclopedia
The Sekenke Gold Mine was an underground gold
mine
in the Shinyanga Region
of Tanzania
.
In the era before the Second World War, Sekenke was the largest single producer of gold in present-day Tanzania, then the colony
of Tanganyika
. The mine closed in 1959 and exploration rights in the area of the old mine now lay with Barrick Gold
, through its subsidiary, Sekenke Exploration Limited, while the wider area around the mine is under exploration by Currie Rose Resources Inc.
colonial period, beginning with gold discoveries near Lake Victoria
in 1894.
Sekenke became the first gold mine in Tanganyika, when it began operation in 1909, after gold having been discovered there in 1907. It was one of two mines to open in the region, the other being the Kirondatal Gold Mine
. Sekenke became the largest single producer of gold in the pre-war period of the late 1930s in Tanzania, when gold mining in the country experienced a boom between 1930 and the Second World War.
During the First World War, gold from Sekenke was used to mint coins to pay German troups fighting against the allied forces
in the Belgian Congo
.
Sekenke was developed as an underground mine, reaching up to 200 m below surface. The mine produced 140,000 ounces of gold at the time while the near-by Kirondatal mine, active from 1934 to 1950, produced just over 7,000 ounces. The Sekenke mine closed in 1959, having produced an average grade of 15.4 g/t of gold and 2.5 g/t of silver in its 50 years of operation.
By 1967, gold production in Tanzania had dropped to insignificance but was revived in the mid-1970s, when the gold price rose once more. In the late 1990s, foreign mining companies started investing in the exploration and development of gold deposits in Tanzania, leading to the opening of a number of new mines. Sekenke however was not reopened.
Gold mining
Gold mining is the removal of gold from the ground. There are several techniques and processes by which gold may be extracted from the earth.-History:...
mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
in the Shinyanga Region
Shinyanga Region
Shinyanga Region is one of the regions of Tanzania. Its capital is Shinyanga. It is bordered to the north by the Mwanza, Mara, and Kagera Regions, and to the south by the Tabora Region...
of Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
.
In the era before the Second World War, Sekenke was the largest single producer of gold in present-day Tanzania, then the colony
German East Africa
German East Africa was a German colony in East Africa, which included what are now :Burundi, :Rwanda and Tanganyika . Its area was , nearly three times the size of Germany today....
of Tanganyika
Tanganyika
Tanganyika , later formally the Republic of Tanganyika, was a sovereign state in East Africa from 1961 to 1964. It was situated between the Indian Ocean and the African Great Lakes of Lake Victoria, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika...
. The mine closed in 1959 and exploration rights in the area of the old mine now lay with Barrick Gold
Barrick Gold
Barrick Gold Corporation is the largest pure gold mining company in the world, with its headquarters in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and four regional business units located in Australia, Africa, North America and South America...
, through its subsidiary, Sekenke Exploration Limited, while the wider area around the mine is under exploration by Currie Rose Resources Inc.
History
Gold mining in Tanzania in modern times dates back to the GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
colonial period, beginning with gold discoveries near Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to discover this lake....
in 1894.
Sekenke became the first gold mine in Tanganyika, when it began operation in 1909, after gold having been discovered there in 1907. It was one of two mines to open in the region, the other being the Kirondatal Gold Mine
Kirondatal Gold Mine
The Kirondatal Gold Mine was a gold mine in the Shinyanga Region of Tanzania.The mine closed in 1950 and exploration rights in the area of the old mine now lay with Barrick Gold, through its subsidiary, Sekenke Exploration Limited, while the wider area around the mine is under exploration by Currie...
. Sekenke became the largest single producer of gold in the pre-war period of the late 1930s in Tanzania, when gold mining in the country experienced a boom between 1930 and the Second World War.
During the First World War, gold from Sekenke was used to mint coins to pay German troups fighting against the allied forces
East African Campaign (World War I)
The East African Campaign was a series of battles and guerrilla actions which started in German East Africa and ultimately affected portions of Mozambique, Northern Rhodesia, British East Africa, Uganda, and the Belgian Congo. The campaign was effectively ended in November 1917...
in the Belgian Congo
Belgian Congo
The Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo between King Leopold II's formal relinquishment of his personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November 1908, and Congolese independence on 30 June 1960.-Congo Free State, 1884–1908:Until the latter...
.
Sekenke was developed as an underground mine, reaching up to 200 m below surface. The mine produced 140,000 ounces of gold at the time while the near-by Kirondatal mine, active from 1934 to 1950, produced just over 7,000 ounces. The Sekenke mine closed in 1959, having produced an average grade of 15.4 g/t of gold and 2.5 g/t of silver in its 50 years of operation.
By 1967, gold production in Tanzania had dropped to insignificance but was revived in the mid-1970s, when the gold price rose once more. In the late 1990s, foreign mining companies started investing in the exploration and development of gold deposits in Tanzania, leading to the opening of a number of new mines. Sekenke however was not reopened.
External links
- Sekenke claim map
- Sekenke mine (TZA-00499) Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States website