Gabon - Strengthening the competitiveness of the mining sector

Gabon has a subsoil with enormous potential in mineral resources with more than 900 mineral indications: iron, manganese, gold, diamond, niobium, rare earths and phosphates.

Position

Reference

Space not available

Reserve this advertising space

Selected ad format

The file format is not recognized

Click here for
upload an ad

Click here to download
an announcement

Here drag and drop or
upload an ad

Send the ad up to 8 days after payment
A link will be sent to you by contact@via-agency.media

Reserved space
Announcement transmitted

If you want another location, you can move this ad

Reference

However, until 2009, the mining sector was mainly based on manganese mining and made a small contribution to the economy (41% of GDP, 1.31% of non-oil budget revenues, 1,500 formal jobs).

The PSGE has marked a new ambition: to make the mining and metallurgical sector a major pillar of the Gabonese economy, by diversifying the exploitation of minerals (iron, gold, phosphate, rare earths, construction materials, in addition to manganese) and by improving the added value of the sector through local processing.

The objective is, on the one hand, to triple the added value of the sector by 2020, by locally valorizing 35% of manganese ore production and, on the other hand, to create a major economic hub in the Moanda – Franceville area, providing 30,000 jobs.

A new, more attractive Mining Code that better protects Gabonese interests was implemented in 2015, marking a major evolution in the sector's regulations. This new Mining Code notably allows for progress in good governance and transparency in the management of mining activities. It introduces more flexible taxation during the exploitation phase and promotes SMEs and SMIs through a national preference rule.

Two world-class projects have been initiated and are to be completed: Belinga and Maboumines. Belinga is one of the few known, yet unexploited, high-grade iron ore deposits of world class.

Position

Reference

Space not available

Reserve this advertising space

Selected ad format

The file format is not recognized

Click here for
upload an ad

Click here to download
an announcement

Here drag and drop or
upload an ad

Send the ad up to 8 days after payment
A link will be sent to you by contact@via-agency.media

Reserved space
Announcement transmitted

If you want another location, you can move this ad

Reference

The State has contracted for technical assistance to characterize the mining and economic potential of the site, in order to negotiate the best possible terms with world-class operators for the joint exploitation of this mineral deposit, within a business plan and environmental and social specifications that align with Gabon's strategic priorities. The exploitation of the Bélinga deposit should enable the development of a competitive metallurgical industry for the production of iron pellets. Thousands of jobs will thus be created in the rural province of Ogooué-Ivindo.

Maboumines is poised to become a world-class rare earth mining project. The Mabounié polymetallic deposit, located approximately 40 kilometers from Lambaréné, is richly endowed but faces significant technical and financial challenges to achieving sustainable development. The result of a partnership between the Gabonese government and the ERAMET group, this large-scale project is currently in its initial development phase. New investors may join the project.

The Government intends to boost mineral exploration and improve the capital intensity of operators in alluvial gold extraction, which has significant but still underutilized potential. Active investment will be promoted for the local processing of manganese, in order to achieve the PSGE target of 301,300 tons of processing of the national resource produced annually.

To this end, the Government is committed to the development of mines in the territory and intends to implement the following measures:

• Online publication of the mining cadastre; ;

• Promoting investment in local manganese processing to strengthen the Moanda-Franceville cluster; ;

• Promotion of investment in alluvial gold mining; ;

• Strengthening of governance (regular Board meetings and Performance Objectives Contract) and increased financial autonomy of the SEM; Signing of a memorandum of understanding between the SEM and the Australian company Core Mining for the evacuation of its production from the Avouma iron mine (Congo) via Gabon (Owendo mineral terminal); ;

• Allocation to the SEM of exploration permits for the Minkébé gold deposit and the Bélinga iron deposit, with a view to finalizing exploration work (potential PPP with private investors who would provide the necessary funds for this work); ;

• Recapitalization with the contribution of new investors in the Maboumine project; ;

• Recapitalization with the contribution of new investors in the Maboumine project.