Barrick Gold Corporation says the company would convert Pakistan’s Reko Diq into a world-class mine and the company would start production of gold and copper by 2027.
The chief executive officer (CEO) of the Canada-based mining firm said this week that agreements underlying the framework agreement were being finalized by teams from Barrick and Pakistan.
The Reko Diq project in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, which hosts one of the world’s largest undeveloped copper and gold deposits, was suspended in 2011 after Pakistan denied Barrick Gold and Chile’s Antofagasta a license to develop it.
An agreement reached between the Government of Pakistan, the provincial government of Balochistan and Barrick earlier this year provides for the reconstitution and restart of the project, which has been on hold since 2011. It will be operated and owned 50 percent by Barrick, 25 percent by the Balochistan government and 25 percent by the Pakistani state-owned enterprises.
“The definitive agreements underlying the framework agreement are currently being finalized by teams from Barrick and Pakistan,” Barrick CEO Mark Bristow said at a press conference in Islamabad.
“Construction of the first phase will follow that with the first production of copper and gold expected in 2027-28.”
Bristow said Barrick would bring capital and technology to convert Reko Diq into a world-class mine and transform Balochistan.
“The project will bring in $10 billion investment in Pakistan, out of this, $4 billion in the first phase till 2027, then $3 billion during the second phase and another $3 billion in the third phase,” he said.
Subject to the updated feasibility study expected in two years, Bristow said, Reko Diq is envisaged as a conventional open pit and milling operation, producing a high-quality copper-gold concentrate.
“It will be constructed in two phases, starting with a plant that will be able to process approximately 40 million tonnes of ore per annum which could be doubled in five years,” he said.
With its unique combination of large-scale, low strip and a good grade, Reko Diq will be a multi-generational mine with a life of at least 40 years, according to the Barrick CEO.
During the negotiations, he said, the Pakistani government and Barrick agreed that Balochistan and its people should receive their fair share of the benefits as part of the Pakistan ownership program.
“The project will have 100 percent Pakistani workers who will be first trained by Barrick for the mining job,” Bristow said. “During the peak construction, the project is expected to employee 7,500 people and once in production it will create 4,000 long-term jobs.”
Pakistan’s Finance Minister Ismail said the development of Reko Diq represented the largest direct foreign investment in Balochistan and one of the largest in Pakistan.
“Like Barrick, we believe that the future of mining lies in mutually beneficial partnerships between host countries and world-class mining companies,” Ismail was quoted as saying in a Barrick statement.
“The Reko Diq agreement exemplifies this philosophy and also signals to the international community that Pakistan is open for business.”
The finance minister said his government was looking forward to Barrick Gold’s investment in the copper and gold mine. “I believe this investment is going to be transformational for Balochistan and Pakistan,” he said on Twitter.
Bristow said multiple social welfare programs for the people of Balochistan would be initiated in education, healthcare and food security as well as for the provision of potable water in a region where groundwater has a high saline content.
“This includes an upfront social development spend of up to $3 million in year one and up to $7 million in year two during the feasibility study update,” the Barrick CEO said.
“One percent of capital during construction phase [and] 0.4 percent of revenue thereafter on an annual basis would also go to the social welfare of the local public.”
He said the unique feature of the agreement was that the Balochistan government would start receiving royalty of the project before the start of operations.
“The Balochistan government will get up to $5 million in the first year, $7.5 million in the second year and $10 million annually from the third year till commercial production is achieved,” Bristow said.
“The Reko Diq agreement also signals to the international community that Pakistan is open for business,” he added

Onshore wind farms can have a considerable impact on the landscape because they often require more land than other power plants and must be erected in remote and rural regions. Wind turbines also produce noise, which can reach 45 decibels (dB) at a residential distance of 300 meters (980 feet); however, at 1.5 kilometers (1 mile), most wind turbines become inaudible. Loud or continuous noise causes stress, which can lead to diseases. When correctly installed, wind turbines produce no noise that is harmful to human heal.
Wind power does not require water for continuous operation and emits very few emissions that are directly related to the generation of electricity. Wind turbines produce small amounts of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, Sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, mercury, and radioactive waste when they are disconnected from the electric grid, in contrast to fossil fuel and nuclear energy station fuel generation, respectively.
Neodymium is utilized in the creation of permanent magnets, which are employed in some wind turbines. Concerns over pollution from the mining of this rare-earth element, which is mostly exported by China, have motivated government action in recent years, as well as international research efforts to improve the extraction process.
Blades of modified wind turbines are composed of composite plastic/fiberglass designs with a service life of fewer than 20 years. There was no cost-effective technique or There is a market for these old blades to be recycled. as of February 2018, hence the most prevalent disposal method is to transport them to landfills. Other possibilities Included in the disposal of the blades are incinerating them or grinding them into powder, but both of these techniques are not only costly but also inefficient and waste energy. Although the foundation of the building, which is normally composed of reinforced concrete, and the blades cannot be recycled, up to 80% of the wind turbine construction can be recycled. Alternatively, these turbine structural components that are difficult to recycle into new turbines might be repurposed and utilized in various ways. The blades could potentially be recycled into building materials and structural components, such as aggregate in concrete utilizing composite material made from the blades. According to existing research, turbine blades could be successfully poles that have been reused as electrical transmission poles because their strength and structural stability are comparable to that of traditional materials. Roofs for small houses have been made from blade sections., and these structures exceed building code standards. This could prove to be a practical solution to reuse blade components without requiring considerable processing.
Wind farms are frequently constructed on land that has already been cleared. When compared to coal mines and coal-fired power plants, wind farms require minimal vegetation clearing and ground disturbance. The terrain can be restored to its previous state if wind farms are decommissioned. Wind-energy proponents argue that just 1% of the land is utilized for foundations and access roads, leaving 99 percent of the land available for agriculture. The base for a wind turbine requires approximately 200–400 m2.
Farming and cattle grazing are still possible on the property. Wind farms have little impact on cattle. Livestock will graze right up to the base of wind turbines and will often graze right up to the base of wind turbines and utilize them as rubbing posts or for shade, according to international experience.
The impact of wind energy on birds is complicated, as they can fly into turbines directly or have their habitats harmed indirectly as a result of wind development.
Wind farms may have an impact on the weather in their near surroundings. The turbulence created by spinning wind turbine rotors enhances the vertical mixing of heat and water vapor, which has an impact on downwind meteorological conditions, including rainfall.n

Google has announced to expand its “Android Earthquake Alerts System” to Pakistan to enable the users to detect seismic activities in their respective areas.
“Today, Google is launching Android Earthquake Alerts System in Pakistan. Android Earthquake Alerts System is a no-cost, helpful Android feature that detects earthquakes around the world and alerts people,” the search engine giant said in a statement.
The system uses accelerometers in active android smartphones to detect seismic activities. It alerts people in two ways — via search and directly on the android mobile device itself.
“The system provides near-instant information to Google Search. When people look up “earthquake” or “earthquake near me”, they will find relevant results, along with helpful resources on what to do after an earthquake. Users who do not wish to receive these alerts can turn this off in device settings.”
Pakistan has experienced several earthquakes in the past, especially in the northern and western parts of the country. With the expansion of this earthquake alert system, android users in the country may receive automatic early warning alerts that would help them be prepared for an emergency.
On mobile devices, the Android Earthquake Alerts System displays two types of alerts, depending on the magnitude and intensity of the earthquake.
“Be Aware” alerts people when earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.5 occur, or an intensity level of 3 or 4 on the MMI scale. The notification is sent along with the distance of the earthquake’s epicentre. The alert uses the phone’s current volume, vibration, and “Do Not Disturb settings”.
“Take Action” is a full-screen alert for earthquakes with a magnitude higher than 4.5, or an intensity level of 5 and above on the MMI scale. To help people prepare for potential heavy shaking, full-screen instructions are shown and the phone plays a loud sound.
The Android Earthquake Alerts System was first introduced in New Zealand and Greece.
It is available now in more countries including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Philippines, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United States of America and Uzbekistan.

There is a general approach of not maintaining the machines until it stops working. Does this approach exist in the industry too? Is our industry aware of the importance of maintenance?
Most people in the industry believe maintenance is a liability. They drag machines to a point where they either stop working or start affecting production. Therefore, it’s a must that they should maintain machines properly with their schedule. Yes, there are the ones in the industry who attach importance to the maintenance of machines and understand their significance. Those who do otherwise face repercussions such as production loss, increase in downtime, and labor cost. In a downtime case, you require time for its arrangement; it eats up your resources. We pursue our clients to sign for routine maintenance of the machine. It adds up to a small fraction of the amount.
Do you think the industry has been gripped by the perception that maintenance charges are, in fact, an extra earning for companies?
Yes, numerous people in the industry hold such perceptions. But the reality is different and we try to convince them to opt for proper maintenance and our company does not depend only on such amount. If they start understanding, the benefit ultimately goes to them because if you maintain machines you increase their life and save extra expenses.
New people are entering the industry and also we find many engineers there, does their inclusion help change the perception as regards maintenance?
New technologies are coming and we deal in building automation. Automation is replacing manual sytems and thus the importance of maintenance continues to be increasing. Therefore, numerous industries are educating their people to attach importance to maintenance as the systems are getting more complicated now. Computerized management systems are being set up so that we keep track records of the maintenance of systems.
How do Maintenance Management Systems help you and the industry in maintaining the systems?
This system generates data so that you come to know how and when you have been maintaining the system and which parts have been changed and when would they need to be addressed again. It facilitates us to maintain things in time with the continuity of the systems.
How much time does your company take to maintain a system on a big plant? How long do you call for a shutdown?
We believe in preventive maintenance and thus it works on the running system. In some cases, we need shutdowns in some sectors for instance fire alarm systems, because they are connected with power generation and they are high voltage systems.
What other services IMS is offering through the maintenance department?
They include HVC Control systems, lighting control, energy monitoring stems, fire fighting systems, etc. We offer monthly and yearly services to maintain all these systems. Besides building management systems, we see smaller systems too and provide an on-call service basis.
Would you like to share an experience that is memorable for you?
Every work is challenging here. If you look at the clients’ list, that includes big names in the pharmaceutical sector. They are serious about the maintenance of their systems. There is a lot of automation there and thus it must work properly. Then, banks also attach priority to maintenance. At Port Qasim, we provide services at Container Terminal. We love to work in challenging conditions