WGC–OMM ASGM partnership: global processing standard and risks for mine teams
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan
First reported on MINING.com
30 Second Briefing
The World Gold Council and OCIM Metals and Mining have signed an MoU to formalise artisanal and small-scale gold mining by creating a global standard for ASGM processing plants covering due diligence, traceability, and environmental and safety performance. The initiative targets tighter control of illicit trade, mercury use and unsafe labour by combining WGC’s origin verification and market standards with OMM’s centralised processing model. OMM already partners with over 200 small-scale mines in Peru, with facilities capable of processing 100,000 tonnes per year and expected output of 1,000 kg of fully traceable gold in 2026.
Technical Brief
- WGC will embed ASGM plant requirements into its wider gold processing initiative for host countries.
- Blueprint frameworks are planned to guide regulators on siting, permitting and supervising centralised ASGM processing hubs.
- Safety performance criteria are expected to be tied to upstream control of ore reception, handling and processing routes.
- Centralised plants create a focal point for enforcing mercury restrictions, PPE use and safe tailings/effluent management.
- For other ASGM jurisdictions, the model suggests shifting risk management from dispersed pits to regulated processing nodes.
Our Take
World Gold Council appears in multiple recent pieces in our database focused on central bank gold buying and record bullion prices, so its move into structured support for artisanal and small-scale mining in countries like the DRC and Peru signals a deliberate attempt to link informal supply with a market that is increasingly scrutinised by official-sector buyers.
The note that over 200 small-scale operations in Peru have formalised partnerships suggests a critical mass where traceability and EITI-aligned disclosure can start to influence local refiners and traders, potentially squeezing room for illegal gold flows in that segment of the supply chain.
With illegal mining flagged as the incident type and the DRC as a focus country, this initiative intersects directly with some of the highest-risk gold supply in our coverage, implying that any workable standard emerging here could become a template for other high-risk jurisdictions in Africa and Latin America.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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