Issue link: http://resourceworld.uberflip.com/i/937377
F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H 2 0 1 8 www.resourceworld.com 15 Among the reasons for not issuing the permit was an assessment that found 53 adverse effects to the environment, cover- ing areas such as human well-being and air quality. In addition, the government also cited "significant adverse effects to Indigenous heritage and to the current use of lands and resources for traditional purposes." Mining companies often face compli- cated sociopolitical issues in developing countries including the Philippines where B2Gold Corp.'s [BTO-TSX; BTG-NYSE AMERICAN; B2G-NAMIBIA] Masbate Mine 360 km southeast of Manila is cur- rently ranked the largest gold producer in the country. Fortunately, Masbate has not been affected by a government decreed ban on new open pit mines which remains in place despite the fact there are several large open pit projects in the develop- ment pipeline. B2Gold has five operating mines along with numerous exploration and development projects in several other countries including the Philippines, Nicaragua, Namibia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Colombia and Finland. Commercial production was achieved at the company's Fekola Mine in Mali at the end of November where gold output is now forecast to be between 100,000 and 110,000 ounces, far surpassing the upper end of the company's original guidance of 45,000 to 55,000 ounces. Based on current assumptions B2Gold is projecting consolidated gold production for 2017 of between 580,000 and 625,000 ounces. In 2018, consolidated gold pro- duction for the year is forecast to increase significantly by 58% to between 925,000 and 975,000 ounces, with the inclusion of the anticipated first full year of commer- cial production from Fekola. Recent drill results indicate that the Fekola deposit has potential to be extended to the north. OceanaGold Corp. [OGC-TSX; OGDCF- OTC; AUST., NZ] plans to maintain current gold production at 500,000 to 600,000 ounces until 2020 from geographically dis- persed assets that include four operating mines in the United States, Philippines and New Zealand. Beyond that horizon, the company expects to operate 5 to 7 qual- ity mines within the Americas, Australasia and SE Asia. OceanaGold's Haile gold mine in South Carolina approximately 58 miles northeast of Columbia is located between two former gold mines – the Ridgeway Mine and the Brewer Mine. The Carolina terrane was the location of the first gold rush in the early 1800s, predating the California gold rush. Significant potential still exists in the region as demonstrated by exploration successes at the mine since 2007. The dis- covery of a new zone (Horseshoe) in early 2010 and two further zones (Mustang and Palomino) in 2010 and 2011 confirms the significant underground potential at Haile. The mine achieved commercial production in October 2017 and is projected to pro- duce 110,000 to 130,000 oz. gold per year.