Mauretania - Promoting the non-metallic resource sector

Country / Region: Mauretania / Africa
Focal Point: Mineral Resources

Begin of project: April 1, 2020

End of project: March 31, 2024

Status of project: September 12, 2022

The Mauritanian technical staff at the training course learning how to use the procured core drilling equipment Source: BGR

The mining sector is of great significance for the development of Mauretania. It is one of the most important pillars for economic growth, and generates around a third of the state's revenues. However, mining has so far primarily been focused on the extraction of iron ore and other metal ores (e.g. gold), and is therefore strongly affected by significant fluctuations in world market prices. In addition, the resources which are extracted in Mauretania are hardly processed to any extent in the country, and are directly exported instead. This means that much of the value added is generated outside of the country. Mining overall therefore makes an inadequate contribution to reducing poverty.

With a view to diversifying the sector more strongly, and with the aim of establishing value chains, and thus boosting the associated jobs available in Mauretania, a great deal of promising potential is seen in non-metallic resources (e.g. construction materials, phosphate, industrial minerals), which have so far only been inadequately exploited: BGR's focus in the technical collaboration project "Promoting the non-metallic resource sector in Mauretania", therefore lies on processing these non-metallic resources.

This BGR project is integrated within the economic co-operation programme "Supporting the natural resource sector in Mauretania", financed by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). In this context, BGR supports the Mauritanian Ministry of Mines, and its subordinate office "Agence Nationale de Recherches Géologiques et du Patrimoine Minier" (ANARPAM), in efforts to create the conditions required to strengthen mining sector diversification.

One of the main problems hampering the utilisation of the non-metallic resources in the country is the inadequacy of the database covering the deposits. The aim of the ongoing project is therefore to improve the capacities of the ANARPAM – the responsible Mauritanian department – to promote and regulate the mining sector, particularly with respect to the non-metallic resources. Part of this work involves qualitatively improving the information base covering non-metallic deposits and their economic exploitation. This work follows up on the activities undertaken by the preceding project. Three main aspects are covered by the project overall.

The exploration of the pilot natural resources – limestone (raw material for the cement industry), and kaolin/clay (various applications from brick clay to ceramics) – are to be continued by building on the previous results.
A range of operational materials were procured for this purpose to enable ANARPAM to carry out the field work required as part of the exploration in the preceding project. The core drilling equipment procured for ANARPAM is particularly important for the provision of useful data on non-metallic natural resources. After the drilling equipment was delivered to ANARPAM, a workshop was held by the relevant international specialists to train the ANARPAM technical staff in how to operate the core drilling machine (Figure 1). After successful completion of the training course on how to operate the drilling equipment, ANARPAM is now able to cut cores independently in the field (Figure 2). 1300 metres of well have already been drilled in total, and 950 drilling samples have undergone geochemical and mineralogical analysis at BGR (2017 - 2019). In the current project, training courses on how to use the drilling equipment are to be continued in the form of on-the-job training.

ANARPAM employees doing field work close to Hassi Abyad Source: BGR

In the preceding project, a database was designed and implemented for the systematic archiving of the deposit-related data, and the relevant hardware and software was installed in ANARPAM's offices, and the first further training measures on how to use the procured software were carried out. The focus of the ongoing project is setting up a (geo-) information system, and making it available online. This has been carried out in parallel to the further training of ANARPAM specialists in the use and expansion of the data base. Further training activities for the partner specialists are also being undertaken on the digital preparation of geological maps using remote sensing technologies; the geotechnical evaluation of drilling data; and the 3D modelling of non-metallic resource deposits.

The third area of activity in the current project is looking at the use of the laboratory. This involves training ANARPAM in the use of the laboratory equipment, and how to carry out sample analysis. The aim is to enable ANARPAM to independently carry out deposit evaluations, and data collection and analysis.

The overall aim of the project is to qualify the ANARPAM employees to work independently to provide high quality deposit-related and economic-geological data on the non-metallic resource deposits in the country, and therefore to be able to provide professional advice to potential investors, and push ahead with the diversification of the Mauritanian mining sector in the interests of sustainable development.

Project website

Project contributions:

• Mauritania – Diversification of the Mining Sector II: WebGIS
• Technical cooperation Mauritania - Promoting the non-metallic resource sector in Mauritania

Literature:

Factsheet: Promoting the non-metallic resource sector in Mauritania

Partner:

Agence Nationale de Recherches Géologiques et du Patrimoine Minier (ANARPAM)