Another Guyanese gears to pump over US$3M into massive quarry project

Sep 06, 2021 News

Kaieteur News- With the accelerated pace of development from the oil and gas sector fuelling an increased demand for aggregates, a local businessman has kicked started plans to benefit from the lucrative opportunities that abound.
If approved, Pradeep Abdool, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Potaro Gold Mining Company (PGMC) and the owner of Winiperu Quarry, is set to invest more than US$3 million to develop a modern, large scale quarry to meet the existing and projected demand for aggregates and boulders.
While the project is expected to provide permanent employment for 50 to 66 Guyanese, it was noted that through the Project’s capital investment and the initial life of five years, the estimated annual turnover would be in excess of US$2.9 million or GYD$605 million.
Kaieteur News understands that the Quarry would be located opposite Baracara Quarries, on the left bank of the Essequibo River, 80 kilometres southwest of Georgetown, with the nearest town being Bartica.
According to the project documents seen by Kaieteur News, “The proposed project area possesses an inferred resource of 10,650,500 and indicated of 7,900,000 tonnes.”
Moreover, it was noted that the production objective for the Quarry is to produce riprap and aggregate for the local market.
Based on suitability, most of the rocks will be for aggregate in the initial phase of the five-year life. Building materials will also be produced based on mechanical properties of the rocks.
It was outlined further that the development stages of the project will consist of drilling boreholes for the geotechnical and hydrogeological investigation and environmental surveys of the Project area. The Construction Phase will include land clearing, over burden stripping and stockpiling, construction of quarry access roads, on-loading facility, office and camp facilities, and the procurement of the crushing plant.
It will also include the Operation Phase, which will see granite/gneiss excavation, ripping and blasting, riprap stockpiling, crushing aggregates, screening, on-loading, screening and barge transport.
Already, Winiperu Quarry serves as a source of aggregates for the major Sherriff Street – Providence road bypass and infrastructure development along the East Coast Demerara to West Coast Demerara.
This newspaper understands that the company is also exploring the possibility of exporting aggregates to Guyana’s regional neighbours.

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