OceanaGold Corporation’s Haile Gold Mine recently celebrated its inaugural gold pour in Lancaster, S.C. More than 440 ounces of gold were produced by the new Haile Gold Mine, marking the first gold production from the site in 25 years and nearly 190 years from when gold was first produced there.
The Haile Gold Mine is now opening with an initial investment of more than $380 million in development, equipment and construction. That investment positively benefits the local community with an economic impact of more than $70 million per year.
More than 700 people work at Haile, from heavy machinery operators, chemists, environmental experts and exploration specialists, to health and safety managers, surveyors, security staff and construction personnel. And 89 percent of the employees live in Lancaster County and the surrounding areas. They are neighbors, friends, volunteers, customers and leaders within the community.
In addition, Haile spends more than $3 million a month locally through labor and the purchase of local goods and services – a figure that doesn’t even account for the individual spending of its employees and contractors who also make a range of purchases, from new homes and new cars to groceries and gasoline.
Haile is projected to make roughly $70 million annually in direct and indirect revenue in local counties, which will improve support for schools, police departments, fire departments and other key civic initiatives.
In preparation for this economic impact, OceanaGold has worked closely with leaders from Kershaw’s town government and Chamber of Commerce, local banking institutions and state agencies to ensure that businesses in the community are kept up to date on operations.
The Haile Gold Mine is a huge boon for Lancaster County and the state of South Carolina – but also for a nation that depends on gold for high-tech electronics, infrastructure and national defense applications.