Connect with us

World

West African Mining Sector Gets Major Boost with New SGS Lab

Published

on

West African Mining

The mining industry in Ghana and the entire West African Sub region will soon receive a major boost following the establishment of a world-class Geochemical Laboratory at Tarkwa in the Western region of Ghana by SGS Ghana Limited.

The facility will complement the existing facilities available in the country by ensuring that clients receive full scale geochemical analytical services at the highest quality and promptness that is required.

The Client Liaison Manager of SGS Ghana at Tarkwa, Wilfred Appiah who made the announcement at the just ended maiden edition of the Ghana Gold Expo held in Takoradi said, the facility is one of SGS Ghana’s top-notch laboratories in the sub region.

With a network of what some have described as super labs, clients in the mining industry can enjoy various standardised and validated methods and techniques using state of the art equipment that spurs growth and reaches desired targets timeously.

Players in the mining industry can also get enhanced services offered by sister labs for MMI (Mobile Metal Ion) analysis, multi-element analyses by ICP-AES, ICP-MS and XRF. SGS also invested in FAST technology (Field Analytical Services & Testing) using the pXRF, FTIR and ED-XRF scanning instruments for mineralogical sample analyses.  Carbon and Sulphur analyses are offered from SGS Maslab in Tema which is also fed from the new SGS environmental feeder, lab recently opened in Cyanide area in Tarkwa.

Mr Appiah noted that SGS Ghana is part of the global entity SGS, which is recognised as a global benchmark for quality and integrity and the world’s leading inspections, verification, testing and certification company with offices worldwide including Accra, Tema, Tarkwa, Takoradi, Damang, Ahafo, Akyem and Obuasi.

SGS which was established in 1878 in Europe, opened its Ghana operations in 1960 in Ghana and provide services in the following sectors; Oil, Gas and Chemicals, Agriculture, Food and Life, Certification and Business Enhancement, Environment, Health and Safety, Government and Institutions, Industrial and Minerals. The company has a network of 2,600 offices and laboratories and more than 94,000 employees around the world.

The Convenor of the Ghana Gold Expo, Dr. Steven Blessing Ackrah expressed excitement about the new facility adding that it was a good effort at ensuring responsible mining as the theme of the Expo indicates; “Promoting Responsible Gold Mining and Zero Mercury.”

“Contributions to the facilities in Ghana, such as the Geochemical Laboratory in Tarkwa by SGS continue to place Ghana favourably for responsible gold mining in the region,” he added.

He observed that the enthusiasm and overwhelming representation by stakeholders in the mining industry was testament to the “strength of gold in the current market and the high level of interest in doing business in Ghana”.

Gold price have hit $1667 as of March 11 and have shown strong recent gains amid stock market crises worldwide.

Henry Treku who is charge of Strategy and Partnerships for Ghana Gold Expo also noted that the high level investors who attended the expo are in the right place at the right time if they were interested in producing gold responsibly and sustainably. “Ghana is good for such opportunities,” he stressed.

He thanked SGS for sharing the news about the new laboratory and extending an invitation to key stakeholders to witness the world-class facility.

However, we have been informed that due to the Covid 19 outbreak, and the recent press release of 2 cases in Ghana, SGS was compelled to postpone the opening function which was scheduled to be held on the March 18 in Tarkwa.

Dipo Olowookere is a journalist based in Nigeria that has passion for reporting business news stories. At his leisure time, he watches football and supports 3SC of Ibadan. Mr Olowookere can be reached via dipo.olowookere@businesspost.ng

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

World

Relief Across Markets as US-China Agree to Trade Deal

Published

on

us china trade deal

By Adedapo Adesanya

The global markets are experiencing relief as the United States and China, the world’s two largest economies, have agreed to slash tariffs on each other, to ease effects of a trade war.

Speaking after talks with Chinese officials in Geneva, US Treasury Secretary, Mr Scott Bessent told reporters that the two sides had reached a deal for a 90-day pause on measures.

US trade representative Jamieson Greer said so-called reciprocal tariffs were now at 10 per cent each.

Business Post reports that in real terms, the deal means the US is reducing its 145 per cent tariff announced by President Donald Trump to 30 per cent on Chinese goods.

A tariff of 20 per cent had been implemented on China when President Trump took office over what his administration said was a failure to stop illegal drugs entering the US.

China has agreed to reduce its 125 per cent retaliatory tariffs to 10 per cent on US goods.

Sector-specific tariffs, such as the 25 per cent tax on cars, aluminium and steel, remain in place.

Last month, President Trump announced a 90-day pause on the reciprocal tarrifs. However, China was the only country exempt from the pause on the retaliatory tariffs above the base 10 per cent levies.

The development had impacted many markets across the world from stocks to oil to bonds and minerals.

Mr Bessent said after a weekend of negotiations in Switzerland, the countries had a mechanism for continued talks.

It is the second major trade announcement made by the US in the last week, after a deal was secured with the United Kingdom on Thursday.

The move signals a willingness from the Americans to make deals on tariffs.

The news was received positively by major markets.

Brent crude is currently up 2.9 per cent to $65.78 per barrel while the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is up 3.1 per cent to $62.91 a barrel.

Asian stock markets on Monday as major indexes were up. In China, the Shanghai Composite stock index rose 0.8 per cent, the Shenzhen Component gained 1.7 per cent, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was up nearly 3 per cent.

Korea’s Kospi grew 1.1 per cent, Japan’s Nikkei was up 0.8 per cent while India’s Nifty 50 index of most valuable companies gained more than 3 per cent, as per Sky News.

CNBC reports that US stocks look set to rise on the open, based on after-hours trading. Wall Street’s tech-heavy Nasdaq is expected to rise by 3.3 per cent, and the S&P 500 index of companies relied on to be stable and profitable by 2.5 per cent.

Mr Bessent also said, “As long as there is good faith effort, engagement and constructive dialogue, then we will keep moving forward,” in response to questions from journalists.

The market will await further developments and possible ease to recent headwinds.

Continue Reading

World

American Robert Prevost Emerges as New Pope 

Published

on

Robert Prevost

By Adedapo Adesanya

The new pope of the Catholic Church has been revealed as Robert Prevost of the United States, the first American pontiff in history.

Following his emergence, he will be known as Pope Leo XIV.

Voting commenced on Wednesday, and after three rounds of black smoke, white smoke billowed above the Sistine Chapel on Thursday evening.

This is the signal that cardinals had selected a new pontiff on the second day of the conclave.

Prevost, age 69, from Chicago, Illinois, is a leader with global experience. He spent much of his career as a missionary in South America and served as a Bishop in Peru. He most recently led a powerful Vatican office for bishop appointments. He is expected to build on Pope Francis’ reforms.

There were 133 voting cardinals, who had all been sequestered inside the Vatican during the conclave. Any one of them needed two-thirds of the vote to become the next pope.

“Peace be with you all,” said Leo XIV in his first remarks as pope.

“This is the first greetings of the resurrected Christ, the good shepherd who has given up his life for God,” he said, explaining the choice of his greeting. “And I should also like this greeting of peace to enter our hearts and our families.”

Leo XIV looked visibly emotional as he waved to the adoring crowd in the square below the balcony.

A leader with global experience, he spent much of his career as a missionary in South America and most recently led a powerful Vatican office for bishop appointments. He is expected to build on Pope Francis’ reforms.

He worked for a decade in Trujillo, Peru, and was later appointed bishop of Chiclayo, another Peruvian city, where he served from 2014 to 2023.

Prevost also holds a Peruvian passport and has been a Peruvian citizen since 2015.

Continue Reading

World

JUST IN: Conclave Elects New Pope as White Smokes Emerges at Vatican

Published

on

white smoke the Sistine Chapel

By Dipo Olowookere

A white smoke was seen from the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican City on Thursday evening, signalling the election of a new pope for the Catholic Church.

This is coming a few days after the previous occupier of the position, Pope Francis, was laid to rest after he died on Easter Monday of 2025 at the age of 88 after an illness.

At the moment, the name of the new pope has not been announced. This would be done later by Cardinal Dominique Mamberti from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.

About 133 Cardinals partook in the process of electing a new pope, the largest in history, with 103 of them doing this for the first time.

On Wednesday, the Conclave could not finalise the election of a new pope, with a black smoke emanating from the the Sistine Chapel.

Details later…

Continue Reading

Trending

https://businesspost.ng/DUIp2Az43VRhqKxaI0p7hxIKiEDGcGdois8KSOLd.html