transfers to operations. “In several cases, there
are synergies between pit stripping activities
and tailings management facility construction
which can lead to important cost savings,” says
Gignac. “The same goes for the general and
administrative functions that service construc-
tion (such as HR, camp services, employee
transportation, accounting, etc.) and continue
with operations.”
When asked about the mining landscape in
Quebec, Gignac says competition is very high.
“Good projects are difficult to come by. Today,
most projects are challenged with more dif-
ficult economics resulting from lower grades,
high construction costs, high environmental
standards, permitting risk, and financing chal-
lenges, etc.”
Gignac continues to say that many G Mining
employees speaking French, English and Span-
ish helps to develop projects in Latin Ameri-
ca and other French speaking jurisdictions in
West Africa. “In 2008, G Mining was building
the Essakane Project in Burkina Faso where
most of the expatriate workforce was sourced
in Quebec facilitating language barriers. To-
day, we are working in Ecuador where we are
working with Lundin Gold Inc. on the Fruta
del Norte Project, and are happy to have flu-
ent Spanish speaking people with many others
picking up the language.”
GLOBAL CLIENTELE
For an example of GMining’s services, let’s look
at Newmont Mining, one of the top gold pro-
ducer in the world, and only gold company to
appear in the S&P 500 Index. When Newmont
needed support on their Suriname-based Me-
rian Project, they called on G Mining to lower
10 BUSINESS ELITE CANADA | SEPTEMBER 2018
