The use of petroleum products in gold mining—environmental ...€¦ · Petroleum products represent a category of potential pollutants that have been largely overlooked by legislation

THE USE OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS IN GOLD MINING 107

Literature reviewPetroleum products are basic building blocks of modernlife. Uses of petroleum products in gold mining includefuels (petroleum liquids i.e. petrol and diesel), lubricants(oil and grease) and manufactured goods such as plastic andrubber. For the purpose of this investigation, petroleumproducts refer to petrol, oil and diesel. Figure 1 shows thetypical daily uses of petroleum products and thepercentages of the various uses of petroleum products.

The main constituents of petroleum products (petrol,diesel and oil) can be subdivided into five main groups oforganic compounds (any member of a large class ofchemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon)(Thompson et al., 2003):

• Napthalenes (cycloparaffins and cycloalkanes)• Normal paraffins (normal alkanes)• Iso-paraffins (iso-alkanes)• Aromatics• Nitrogen, sulphur, oxygen compounds (NSOs).

Petroleum products represent a category of potentialpollutants that have been largely overlooked by legislationin South Africa despite their harmful effects on theenvironment. There is an urgent need for the assessment ofimpacts caused by human activities because the use ofpetroleum products in order to manage and mitigate theseimpacts (Usher et al., 2004).

Of all the types of petroleum products, petroleum liquids(oil, petrol and diesel) are a major problem to theenvironment as they are the ones that get released to the

environment due to spills, leaking tanks, and overfills(Phophi, 2004).

Mining activities such as the storage of petroleum on theunderground or on the surface, overfilling, and spillageslead to the cause of contamination in the environment. Ifnot carefully managed, the storage of petroleum products(mostly petrol and diesel) poses a threat to the environmentwhen releases to the environment occur (Usher, 2004).

A study carried out by the South African oil industryestimated that approximately 9.6% of the undergroundstorage tanks are currently leaking (the life expectancy ofunderground storage tanks ranges from 8 to 27 years withan average expectancy of 17 years). In Driefontein GoldMine, 4 surface storage tanks and 18 underground storagetanks exist. If leaks occur these tanks have the potential torelease petroleum hydrocarbons to the environment andthus cause pollution (Usher, 2004).

One of the causes of the impacts caused by petroleumproducts on the environment are due to the use of leadedpetrol which leads to contamination of soil, surface waterand underground water. As a result, in 2002 a commitmentwas made by the Southern African DevelopmentCommunity (SADC) member countries to useenvironmental friendly fuels and phase out leaded petrol.South Africa phased out leaded petrol as part of theagreement. Although leaded petrol was phased out bycurrent legislation, the historical impacts caused by thesemay still exist as part of gold mining.

RAMPHISA, P. and MEEUWIS, J The use of petroleum products in gold mining—environmental impacts and cost implications. World Gold Conference2009, The Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 2009.

The use of petroleum products in gold mining—environmentalimpacts and cost implications

P. RAMPHISA* and J. MEEUWIS†

*Goldfields, South Africa†University of Johannesburg, South Africa

In South Africa reprocessing used oil into industrial fuel is commercially attractive. Thereprocessed product is sold as a substitute for heavy fuel oil that is derived from crude oil (RoseFoundation, 2008). The objective of this investigation is to evaluate the use of petroleum productssuch as oil, petrol and diesel in Driefontein Gold Mine. The recovery of oil through recycling hascosts implications to the mine while the release of petroleum hydrocarbons due to the poormanagement of the use of petroleum products has potential to cause pollution and negativelyaffect soil and water.

Environmental legislation such as the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act (Act28, 2002) requires that such negative impacts to the environment be rehabilitated. Therehabilitation cost of pollution caused by petroleum products to the environment increasesoperational costs in business. Field assessment is conducted to identify the main sources ofpetroleum product contamination such as leaks in piping, overfills and petroleum spills. The areasthat require mitigation would be mapped in the study. Recommendations for mitigation measureswill focus on using the best practicable environmental option (BPEO) as well as the best availabletechnology not exceeding excessive cost (BATNEEC). The recovery of oil from the miningindustry is generally low and very poor. In this study, the effect of proper management ofpetroleum products to the mine’s operational costs is investigated and compared to theremediation costs of the impacts caused due to poor management of these products. The studyinvestigates the financial benefit that could be obtained from proper environmental practices andefficient usage of petroleum products in the mining.

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WORLD GOLD CONFERENCE 2009108

The two most common additives that were used toreplace lead in leaded petrol are methyl tertiary-butyl ether(MTBE) and methylcyclopentadienyl manganesetricarbonyl (MMT). Both of these chemicals also have animpact on the environment. MTBE affects the environmentby changing the taste and odour of water (Fisher et al.,2005). It has been suggested that one of the principalsources of environmental contamination may be the poorcombustion of MMT. The potential environmental impactsand risks associated with the use of MMT remain poorlycharacterized according to Loranger (1995).

Mining activities, such as spillages caused by overfills,poor waste handling and poor housekeeping run off withstormwater from surfaces where they have been spilt intothe surface water courses and thus pollute soil as well asgroundwater. When reaching the environment theseproducts dissolve into chemicals that cause pollution to theenvironmental media. The most water-soluble constituents

in common refined petroleum (petrol and diesel) are themajor causes of pollution. These include aromaticcompounds and oxygenation additives, which togethercomprise 20% of the products.

Petroleum products contain petroleum hydrocarbons(PHCs) such as benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene and xylene(BTEX) which are classified as priority organic pollutantsby the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) due to theirpersistence and toxicity in the environment. These organicpollutants are contained in petroleum products such aspetrol, diesel and oil. Because of their high solubility theseproducts travel through various ways from mining activitiesdue to spills, incorrect waste disposal practices andleakages from tanks as well as overfill into theenvironment. After being released to the environment, thesecontaminants from petroleum pollute the environment andaffect soil, groundwater, surface water as well as flora andfauna (Graig, et al., 1999).

Figure 1. Petroleum products and uses (EIA, 1999)



When petroleum liquids are released into theenvironment they react chemically and biologically withsoil and groundwater and thus affect the environment(Shaik, 2003).

Subsurface microbial communities play an important rolein the environment by contributing to the carbon andnitrogen cycle. In addition, these microbial communitiescontribute to the biological degradation of contaminants(Feris et al., 2004). Petroleum hydrocarbons that getreleased from the mine due to accidental spills or leakagesof petroleum storage equipment into the environment affectsurface water as well as the microbial organisms that live inthe subsurface. Oil and petrol contaminated water affectsaquatic life by preventing the diffusion of oxygen into thewater or by coating the organisms with residue and causingmortalities. Aromatic constituents of petroleum products(BTEX) are toxic to organisms. Large doses can be lethal,while sub-lethal quantities can have a variety ofphysiological effects and are carcinogenic. These petroleumhydrocarbons are lipophilic (bind to fats or lipids in thebody) and, because they are not metabolized or excreted,tend to accumulate in fatty tissues. This causes organismsin water to be contaminated by accumulating the petroleumcontaminants to which they have been continuouslyexposed at low concentrations (AccessScience., 2009).

Table I summarizes the common and significantchemicals found in petroleum liquids (petrol, oil and diesel)as well as their potential impact on the environment.

Two terms are used to label non-dissolved petroleumliquids in groundwater, LNAPLs (light non-aqueous phaseliquids) and DNAPLs (dense non-aqueous phase liquids).

LNAPL refers to petroleum liquids that are less densethan water and thus float on top of water; the term ‘non-aqueous’ denotes that petroleum liquids do not mix withwater.

Dense non-aqueous phase liquids are petroleum liquidsthat are heavier than water and thus sink and float beneathwater. These include creosote, coal tar and polychlorinatedbiphenlyls (PCBs) (Environmental Agency, 2003).

Behaviour of petroleum contaminants (LNAPLs) in thesub-surface environmentThe behaviour of petroleum contaminants and movement inthe subsurface are important for the study because theyaffect contaminant levels in the environment. Whenreleased to the environment, petroleum contaminantschange over time and distance (Thompson et al., 2003).

Factors influencing the spread of contamination in theenvironment due to petroleum products include soilconditions, solubility of contaminants as well as theirability to break down or bind to soil particles (McMichael,2003).

Pollutants from petroleum products can behave in variousways when exposed to the environment and depend on soilconditions. When spilled in the environment petroleumproducts either sink to the subsurface or evaporate to theatmosphere (McMichael. 2003).

In Figure 2 the possible movement of petroleum liquidcontaminants in the subsurface is shown. It can be seen thatpetroleum liquid (petrol, oil or diesel) can travel from aleaking tank freely due to gravity and reach thegroundwater table. The pollution will then flow to thedirection of the groundwater and form a non-dissolvedpollution plume. Due to groundwater movement andinfiltrating precipitation the non-aqueous phase plumedissolves soluble chemical components and causes anaqueous phase contaminant plume. In the process, volatilecontaminants evaporate either to the atmosphere or withinthe groundwater table and cause chemical reactions thatspread pollution (Newell, et al., 2006).

Table IChemical composition of petroleum liquids

Chemical Formula and description Potential environmental impact

Benzene C5H5—clear colourless compound with a sweet High acute toxic effect on aquatic life. Affectsodour. Evaporates to the atmosphere very quickly plants and agricultural crops and their growth.

and reacts with other chemicals in the air to break down.Xylene C5H10—organic colourless liquid with sweet Toxic to wild life, contains volatile organic

odour. compounds that contribute to ozone formation.Toluene C7H7NO2 Toxic effects on animals and plants.

Can contribute to the formation of ozone. Ethyl benzene C8H10—colourless flammable liquid that Toxic effects include death to animals, birds or

smells like petrol. Contaminates air and fish, and death or low growth rate in plants.groundwater

Napthalene C10H5 Soil and groundwater pollution. Toxic to aquatic organisms

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) None Toxic to aquatic life and birds, some causes damage and death to agricultural crops.

Methyl-tert-butyl-ether (MTBE) C5H12O Causes unpleasant taste in water i.e. renderswater non-potable

Metals (cadmium, chromium, lead and arsenic) None Lead—contamination of agricultural crops and drinking water.

Cadmium—presence in soil can cause contamination to plants and foods, hence its

danger to animals that are dependent on plants for survival.

Chromium—contamination of soil can cause high levels of acidification taken up by crops. Can

cause respiratory problems in animals. Arsenic—contaminates water and land, and can cause

genetic problems in plants and fish.



Pollutants contained in petroleum products such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are less water soluble(refer to Table I for the list of petroleum contaminants) andthus remain in the non-aqueous phase plume. BTEXcontaminants are highly soluble and volatile; these react toincrease pollution in groundwater. The solublecontaminants distribute fast and sink into the soil, and thisincreases the extent impact extensively on the environment(Newell, et al., 2006).

Organic pollutants from petroleum products (LNAPLs)exist in four phases when released to the environment:

• Vapours in soil gas (gaseous)• Residual material adsorbed in oil particles (solid)• Dissolved constituents in soil (aqueous)• A separate liquid that is not dissolved in water (non-

aqueous, free phase product) (Dippenaar, 2004).The level of environmental pollution and risk associated

with the spills is determined by the:• Type of contaminant associated with the petroleum

spillages• Volume and age of the spill• Mmigration pathways of the product• Possibility of the spill reaching water resources and

other sensitive environments (Dippenaar, 2004).The fate of the pollutants from these compounds is

determined by four processes i.e. volatilization, dissolution,sorption and degradation processes.

Volatilization is the measure of the tendency of petroleumproduct compounds to vaporize from the liquid phase intothe gaseous phase. These changes in state determine the fateof the contaminants in environmental media. Volatilizedcompounds pollute the air whereas the compounds thatremain in liquid state pollute groundwater (www.wikipedia.org, Accessed 20 April 2009).

A non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) product in contactwith groundwater partially dissolves into an aqueous phaseproduct. This process is known as dissolution. Themovement of groundwater affects the level of dissolution inthat the higher the groundwater movement the higher thelevel of dissolution occurs in petroleum contaminantscontained in groundwater.

Newell (2006) states that many compounds contained inpetroleum products are amenable to biological degradationin the aqueous phase by naturally occurring micro-organisms in the subsurface. Newell further states that there

is a distinction between an aqueous phase and a non-aqueous phase biodegradation. Conditions that areconducive to maintain microbial activity in order to enablebiodegradation are much more difficult to create for non-aqueous phase petroleum pollutants than they are foraqueous phase petroleum pollutants.

Sorption involves a process in which petroleum productsbind to soil molecules to form a residue line on the surfaceof the soil. When petroleum contaminants are released intogroundwater some components of the contaminantsdissolve into an aqueous phase and some partition into anaquifer material and bind to the surface.

The movement of petrol underground is influenced bymany factors including water solubility, rainfall, ambienttemperature, pH, soil type, depth to water table and quantityand duration of the release. The petrol components ingroundwater occur in a non-uniform manner due todiffering solubilities (CONCAWE, 2008).

The use of petroleum products in DriefonteinGold Mine-environmental impacts and cost

implicationsThe uses of petroleum products in Driefontein Gold Mineinclude the following:

• Use of fuel (petrol and diesel) for transportationpurposes

• Use of oil for machinery and equipment (these includewinder engines, underground locos, rail exhausts,compressors, transformers, etc.)

• Use of grease for equipment and machinery.

During the use of petroleum products, activities that havepotential to affect negatively on the environment mayoccur. These activities include poor storage of petroleumliquids such as oil, poor management of the usage of theproducts which may cause exposure of the products to theenvironment, and poor waste management practices.

Poor management of petroleum liquid products result inspillages which contaminate ground water, surface waterand soil. In terms of the environmental legislation such asthe Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act(Act 28, 2002), such impacts need to be rehabilitated.

The pollution of soil by petroleum liquids increases therehabilitation costs and affect the profitability of thebusiness. Some of the spills that cause a release ofpetroleum products to the environment are due to the poorrecovery of oil, which causes oil to be released into theenvironment instead of being recovered and recycled. Theleakages of underground and surface petrol and diesel tankscause wastage of resources whilst increasing the cost ofrehabilitation by contaminating the environment.

The main aim of the investigation is to identify theimpacts associated with the use of petroleum products inDriefontein Gold Mine and to identify remediationmeasures that can be used to minimize or mitigate impactsto the environment. This will involve the development of abest practice guide for the use of petroleum products inDriefontein Gold Mine that will help the mine in mitigatingexisting impacts and prevent the reoccurrence of thenegative impacts to the environment that are associatedwith the use of petroleum products.

The cost of rehabilitation is compared with the cost of thepetroleum products lost to the environment due to pollutionin order to identify the financial benefit of using bestpractice in managing petroleum hydrocarbons.

Figure 2. Petroleum liquid behaviour in soil and groundwater(McMichael, 2003)



Data collection In order to accomplish the objectives of the investigationinto the impacts and cost implications of the use ofpetroleum products in Driefontein Gold Mine, thefollowing data needed to be collected:

• List of the type and quantities of petroleum productsused in the mine as well as the areas on the mine wherethese products are used. This will include aninvestigation into the amount of petroleum productsused, reused and recycled.

• List of activities (aspects) in the study area related tothe use of the petroleum products from ISO 14001aspect registers as well as field observations.

• Identification of petroleum releases to the environmentdue to spills and leakages. This includes the size ofpolluted land due to petroleum products that willrequire rehabilitation.

• Concentrations of chemicals of concern that havepotential to pollute the environment from releasedpetroleum products (BTEX, polynuclear aromatichydrocarbons (PAHs) and total petroleumhydrocarbons (TPH)) in environmental media (soil,surface and groundwater).

• List of environmental impacts caused by the use ofpetroleum products.

• Rehabilitation cost of clean-up on polluted media suchas soil

• Data on potential earnings on recovered petroleumproducts such as oil.

By integrating the background information gatheredduring the literature survey and that gathered during thefield investigation for this study, the environmental impactscaused by the use of petroleum products in DriefonteinMine were identified as well as the applicable remediationmeasures. Based on the findings of the investigation intothe activities (aspects) relating to the use of petroleumproducts, which have the potential to affect theenvironment, remediation recommendations focusing bestpracticable environmental option (BPEO) as well as thebest available technology not exceeding excessive cost(BATNEEC) were made. The cost implications of poormanagement of petroleum products versus goodmanagement practices that allow better recovery ofpetroleum products such as oil were also be highlighted.

Method of data collectionBoth qualitative and quantitative methods of data collectionwere used for the investigation.

The type and amount of petroleum products (diesel,petrol and oil) used in Driefontein Gold Mine weregathered by using purchase records from the mine stores.This was followed by a conduction of a pedestrian surveyin all the identified areas in order to record any visibleevidence of pollution due to spillages.

A GPS was used to record the locations of all the areaswhere there was visual evidence of spillages; all thespillages on the soil were measured using a measuring tape.

Records of pressure tests conducted on surface andunderground petrol and diesel tanks were accessed in orderto identify if any tests for leakages were done on thefacilities.

The identified contaminated soil was screened in a gridfor volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by using a SiriusMultigas Detector. Soil samples were taken for analysis ongasoline range organics (GRO), diesel range organics(DRO) as well as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs). The size of the pollution plume in areas wherepetroleum spills were observed was identified by measuringthe depth of the contaminated soil and the area using a handauger and a measuring tape.

The amount of oil lost was calculated from contaminatedsoil by using literature.

In order to assess the financial implications of thepollution caused by petroleum product spillages, the cost ofrehabilitation of the total contaminated soil was identified.This was done by requesting quotations from threecompanies specializing in the remediation of landcontaminated by petroleum hydrocarbons. The cost will beassessed against the lost oil that polluted the soil whichcould have been otherwise recovered and sold.

Mass balances were conducted to identify the amount ofoil that the mine could potentially recover and sell. Thefinancial loss of the oil which could have been recoveredthat gets lost into the environment and pollute theenvironment was also estimated.

Discussion of resultsA total of 600 487 litres of oil, 217 452 litres of petrol and2 268 108 litres of diesel was used in the mine during 2008according to the records of purchase accessed from themine stores. The use of these petroleum products wasrecorded in a total of nine shafts in Driefontein Gold Mine(6 operating shafts and 3 redundant shafts).

Usage has also been recorded in various working areaswithin the mine, which include gold plants, transportationand the mine’s workshop. Figure 3 shows the consumptionlevels of petrol, oil and diesel within the gold mine for2008.

Figure 3. Petroleum product consumption



A higher use of petrol and diesel was recorded in themine’s Transport Department. This is attributed to thedemanding activities associated with the department such asthe transportation of employees from hostels to workingareas as well as the usage of trucks within the mine. Ya-Rona Shaft was recorded as the highest user of oil, followedby Masakhane Shaft.

A pedestrian survey that was conducted in the identifiedareas showed that an area of 325.43 m2 has beencontaminated with petroleum products spills, mainly oil.This area comprises 0.002 per cent of the total areadisturbed by the mine infrastructure.

The average depth of the contaminated area wascalculated using a hand auger and a measuring tape. Thisprovided an indication of the total volume of soilcontaminated by petroleum products as well the estimatedamount of oil that was lost by the mine due to the spills thatcaused the contamination. Mass balances were used tocalculate the total amount of oil that should be recovered inthe mine.

It was expected that the level of contamination in sampledareas would be high. However, the overall impacts ofpetroleum products on the environment on the mine wereexpected to be low due to the low extent of the areacontaminated by petroleum spills. The mobility of petroleumproducts from the affected areas was also expected to be lowdue to the low volumes of products spilled to theenvironment (spillages have been recorded mainly due tooverfills, contaminated oil drums and poor storage of usedoil. No major spillages have been identified).

The financial loss due to poor management of petroleumproducts was calculated by using the following formula:

Amount lost due to contamination = cost of rehabilitation+ (amount of used oil lost × recovered oil price)

The potential benefit due to proper management ofpetroleum products (particularly oil) was calculated by usingthe formula:

Financial benefit = oil recovered × recovered oil priceThis formula is limited since the benefit of the clean

environment and compliance with national legislationcannot be measured in monetary terms. It is expected thatthe financial benefit of proper management of petroleumproducts as well as the savings in rehabilitation costs willadd to the bottom line and support the cost-cutting initiativethat the mine has embarked on.

Conclusion and recommendationsBased on the investigation into the activities associated withthe use of petroleum products, it can be concluded that alack of training of the employees on how to handlepetroleum products contributes to the release of theseproducts to the environment. This was evidence by theidentification of spills in areas adjacent to diesel tanks andpetrol tanks due to overfills that occur outside bunded areas.

Most oil spills occur either from parked trucks or spillagesaround storage areas where used oil is kept. It isrecommended that in order to prevent this from occurringdaily surveys are conducted in the storage areas where usedoil is kept. This will ensure timely removal of used oil to thedisposal area and prevent incidents that lead tocontamination from occurring.

Most of the mine’s cost-saving initiatives have thus farfocused on saving costs reducing operational andadministrative costs such as printing and telephone usage;

however, the study showed that there is a higher financialsaving benefits in managing the use of petroleum productsproperly. It can thus be concluded from the study that theproper management of the usage of petroleum productsleads to better legal compliance, reduced liability, reducedcosts of running the mining business as well as a cleanerenvironment.

References

ACCESSSCIENCE ENCYCLOPAEDIA. PetroleumHydrocarbons. Online access. Accessed 4 February2009.

CONCAWE. Protection of Groundwater from OilPollution. The Hague. 2008.

DIPPENAAR, M., SOLE, M., VAN ROOY, J., DU TOIT,G., and REYNECKE, J. Determining Actual LNAPLThickness: Review and Case Study in a FracturedAquifer. Springer-Verlaag. 2005.

ENERGY API. Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids. Onlineaccess. Accessed 31 January 2008.

ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION.Petroleum Energy Profile. National TechnicaInformation Service, USA. 1999.

ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCY. DNAPLs Handbook.R&D Publications. United Kingdom. 2003.

FERIS, K., HRITOVA, K., CEBREYESUS, B., MZCKAY,D., and SCOW, K. A Shallow BTEX and MTBEContaminated Aquifer Supports MicrobialCommunity . Kluwer Academic Publishers,Netherlands. 2004.

FISHER, A., OEHM, C., SELLE, M., and WERNER, P.Biotic and Abiotic Transformations of methyl tertiary-butyl ether. SpringerLink. 2005.

PHELPS, C.D., YOUNG, L., and GENG, L. AnaerobicBiodegradation of BTEX and Gasoline in VariousAquatic Sediments. Kluwer Academic Publishers,Netherlands. 1999.

LORANGER, S. and ZAYED, J. Environmental andOccupational Exposure to Manganese: a multimediaassessment . SpringerLink. 1995.

MCMICHAEL, T. Environmental Impact Assessment ofPetrol Usage . Aarhus University, Denmark. 2003.

NEWELL, C., ACREE, S., ROSS, R., and HULLING, S.Groundwater Issues. Environmental ProtectionAgency. 2006.

PHOPHI, T.S. The Occurrence And Evaluation OfLNAPLs Contamination In Urban Areas Of SouthAfrica. University of Free State. 2004.

RALERU, S. Geo-Hydrological Remediation ofHydrocarbon Contaminated Soil at JohannesburgInternational Airport. Faculty of Science, Universityof Johannesburg. 2005.

SHAIK, F. Quantification of Unused Motor-Vehicle Oiland an Assessment of its Environmental Impact inJohannesburg . University of Johannesburg. 2003.



THE ROSE FOUNDATION. The Recovery of Oil. OnlineAccess www.rosefoundation.co.za . 5 May 2008.2007.

THOMPSON, K. and NATHANAIL, K. Chemical Analysisof Contaminated Land. Blackwell Publishing. Oxford.2003.

USHER, B., PRETORIUS, J., DENNIS, I., JAVANOVIC,N. et al. Identification and Prioritisation ofGroundwater Contaminants and Sources in SouthAfrica’s Urban Catchments. Water ResearchCommission, Pretoria. 2004.

www.wikipedia.org., Volatility. Accessed 8 February 2009

Phillip RamphisaSenior Environmental Coordinator, Driefontein Gold Mine, South Africa

Phillip Ramphisa studied for a career in Environmental Management at Tshwane University in2001. He was one of the students selected to study at Branderburg University in 2004 as part of thestudent’s exchange programme.In 2006 Phillip joined Golder Associates and got involved in the development and compilation ofEnvironmental Management Programmes (EMPR) for various mines including Tenke’sFungumere’s proposed mining project, Anglo Coal proposed Mafube Project as well as EasternChrome Mines. Phillip is currently a Senior Environmental Coordinator at Driefontein Gold Mine where he has

been involved in the development of the Environmental Management Plan (EMP), the implementation of the InternationalCyanide Code as well as the Carbon Footprint Project. He is currently studying for a final year for an M.S.c in EnvironmentalManagement at the University of Johannesburg.




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The use of petroleum products in gold mining—environmental ...€¦ · Petroleum products represent a category of potential pollutants that have been largely overlooked by legislation