The open-cast gold mine of Renaissance Minerals (Cambodia) Ltd is located in the O'Kvav area of Mondulkiri province’s Chong Phlas commune, in Keo Seima district. Hong Raksmey
Renaissance Minerals Cambodia, a subsidiary of Australia-listed Emerald Resources, is setting its sights on an ambitious new project in the Tboung Khmum province’s Memot district.
The company currently produces three to four hundred kilogrammes of gold from its Mondulkiri province operation, and hopes to replicate its success in Tboung Khmum.
“The sector does not end with the Mondulkiri mine, as Renaissance will continue to open mines. The company has another project, in Memot, Choam Ta Mao commune,” said Kong Sitha, deputy director-general of the General Department of Mineral Resources.
After the blasting, the transport team, which consists of 12 large trucks with a load capacity of nearly 100 tons each and 3 medium trucks with a load capacity of 50 tons, arrive. Hong Raksmey
Sitha noted that this is an excellent sign for development in 2026 or 2027.
The company’s flagship Okvau Gold Project, 275 kilometres northeast of Phnom Penh, has already positioned Renaissance Minerals as Cambodia's leading international gold mining operation.
The open-cast mine is located in the O'Kvav area of Mondulkiri province’s Chong Phlas commune, in Keo Seima district.
“Since its first gold pour in 2021, the Okvau site has produced an impressive 110,000 ounces (approximately 3 tonnes) of gold annually,” said Bernie Cleary, director of the Okvau Gold Project.
The immense scale of the operation can clearly be seen in this image of large excavators and trucks, which are rendered tiny by the vast open cast mine. Hong Raksmey
The first explorations began in 2006 and continued until 2016.
Emerald Resources owns the company while its subsidiary, Renaissance Minerals Cambodia, operates the project.
In 2017, the Ministry of Environment granted an environmental license, and in 2018, the Ministry of Mines and Energy issued the industrial mining license, which was signed off by then Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Construction began in 2020, with the first gold pour taking place in 2021.
As of early August 2022, the Cambodian government had earned over $13 million from gold refining activities.
By November 2023, this figure had increased to more than $14.4 million in royalties from gold production, excluding pre-payment tax, salary on tax, withholding tax and benefits tax.
From 5,000 tonnes of rock, approximately 10 kilogrammes of gold can be obtained. Hong Raksmey
Now, with the exploration project in Memot, the company is looking to build on this success.
“We hope to have a development operation there and construct a gold mine there in the coming years,” said Cleary.
He said the company has been issued licenses by the ministries of mines and environment.
“Our goal is to start construction later this year or early next year, with a view to having a gold mine in operation within two to three years,” he added.
The company’s website also highlighted the exceptional potential of Cambodia’s gold reserves, with several other promising exploration projects underway, including those at Snuol, Oktung and Preak Klong. ,
The Memot project, located in Choam Ta Mao commune, marks an exciting new chapter for Renaissance Minerals as it continues to build relationships with local communities and the Cambodian government.
The company’s strong local ties and commitment to the development of Cambodia’s mining sector are evident.
“We are a first mover in Cambodia, and we’ve established strong relationships with the communities in which we operate, as well as with the government,” said Cleary.
A mixture of precious minerals, including gold, silver and copper, is extracted from rocks that contain up to 90 percent gold ore. Hong Raksmey
He highlighted how the company has created job opportunities for Cambodians, with 90 per cent of the workforce being local, including women.
The company also provides extensive training to its staff, ensuring that Cambodians are equipped with the necessary skills to operate mining equipment and machinery.
Cleary pointed out that the company’s Okvau site is not only a mining operation but also a wildlife sanctuary, with a variety of animals such as monkeys, peacocks and deer coexisting within the project development area.
“We have to make sure there is no interaction with the animals, so we do monitor in that regard. We have our operation fence, so there is no illegal poaching of the animals which cohabitate the area with us here,” Cleary said.
Renaissance Minerals has also put extensive environmental monitoring measures in place to ensure that water quality, air quality and the health of the surrounding environment are constantly assessed.
Ngin Sovimean, deputy governor of Mondulkiri, expressed his support for the project, encouraging companies to continue to pay attention to the environment and strengthen the capacity of Cambodian workers.
Bernie Cleary, director of the Okvau Gold Project, peaks with journalists from 20 media outlets at the open cast mine on February 14. Hong Raksmey
“I hope that more companies will develop the mining sector, and other sectors, with the Royal Government of Cambodia, especially in Mondulkiri Province,” he said.
Sitha explained that those who are not in the mining sector may have misconceptions about the work, which some people consider destructive and dangerous.
“The mining sector started late, but is important sector in contributing to the development of national society,” he said.
Kry Lay Hok, an engineer at Renaissance, explained that the Okrav mine was drilled in seven stages. Renaissance is currently working on the eighth stage, which is deeper and larger.
He described the process from drilling for sample gold, blasting, digging and transporting, starting with safety factors.
“In this stage of excavation, we need to study safety factors by focusing on the pit wall and start drilling between 5 and 10 metres to determine where there is gold and where there is no gold,” he explained.
Two drilling rigs operate in both day and night shifts, drilling 400 metres per day and taking samples from the drilling to be tested in the laboratory for gold quality.
For the blasting, the expert team must determine the exact location and use precise amounts of explosives, with close attention paid to the depth and spacing of the charges.
After the blasting, the transport team, which consists of 12 large trucks with a load capacity of nearly 100 tonnes each and 3 medium trucks with a load capacity of 50 tonnes, arrive.
“We extract about 500,000 cubic metres of rock, both with and without minerals, per month, obtaining 200,000 cubic meters of mineral rock, or 35 percent,” explained the engineer.
The rock is then crushed and refined at the factory, while the waste rock is dumped at a waste dump.
“A mixture of precious minerals, including gold, silver and copper, is extracted from rocks that contain up to 90 percent gold ore. From 5,000 tonnes of rock, approximately 10 kilogrammes of gold can be obtained,” Lay Hok told The Post at the open pit.
He added that the current mine pit has a length of 600 metres and a depth of 210 metres, while digging will continue until it is 800 metres long and 415 metres deep.
