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THE PROJECT
Development of 3 mining rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo 471 mining squares each (403,7 km²), totalling 1413 mining squares (or 1211km²)
Covering the Banalia iron and gold deposit 900Mt @ 63% iron ore deposit (extrapolation on a depth of 70m) and a target of 2Moz of gold.
Gold production is the first objective to preserve the mining titles, by converting them into exploitation permits and thereafter preparing the properties for the development of the iron ore.
Location
220km from Kisangani and the Congo River
Mining Rights Information
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- The validity period granted to research permits (PR) by the Congolese mining code is relatively short, 3 terms of 5 years and at each renewal, 50% of the polygon area is lost.
- The validity of exploitation permits (PE) is 30 years and renewable at anytime.
- The conversion from PR into PE need a so-called feasibility study that presents a business plan with both technical and economic aspects of the exploitation.
- The iron and gold deposits cover the 3 polygons completely.
- The technical-economic feasibility of the exploitation will be done on gold.
General Information
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The mining permits will be managed in 2 phases. The first will focus on gold. It will make it possible to obtain operating permits, finance annual fees and finance the preparation of the second phase, which is the development of the iron ore deposit.
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Accessibility
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The polygons are accessible by a road that has recently been rehabilitated (tarmac), less than 4hours to reach the polygons from Kisangani.
Gold Deposit
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3 polygons are covered by gold deposit (target 2Moz)
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Located in the same geological environment as the well-known gold mine Kibali of RandGold.
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High Grade Iron Ore
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Iron ore can be found in a lot of places, but large deposits of very high-grade ore are quite rare. High-grade iron ore is obviously more valuable(https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-30/how-iron-ore-s-most-valuable-lessons-all-come-from-grade-school). The banded iron formations (BIF) are sedimentary rocks with a high iron content (at least 15%). They represent 90% of the iron ore exploited in the world. The rock is called itabirite. The particularity of the Banalia deposit is its extremely high iron content (more than 63%), whereas the usual content of itabirites is not so high.
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The iron enrichment of the ore comes from an intense leaching that has taken away the sterile gangue, the ore is then porous, but very rich.
This leaching comes from its proximity to an imposing massive granite intrusive. It is responsible for the recovery of the sedimentary layers which are found in a subvertical position. The last phase of consolidation of this granite is the hydrothermal phase characterised by an increase in pressure. The high pressure and high temperature hydrothermal liquids escape from the granite massif by crossing the rocks that adjoin this granite. The sedimentary layers being straightened, these hydrothermal flows must cross them, which explains the effectiveness of this leaching. This hydrothermal phase is also responsible for the gold mineralisation caused by hydrothermal flows. It is therefore logical to
preferentially look for this gold mineralization in the fault zones that were transport vectors of these flows. 99% of these itabirite are located inside our 3 polygons.
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The Prospecting
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In 1974, while the President Mobutu decided to build a steel industry in Kinshasa, the Italian-Belgian company Sicai-Tractionnel (Tractebel now) carried out a surface prospection of the iron deposit of Mbomo Mountains that had to feed this steel industry built in Maluku (near Kinshasa). This white elephant only worked for 5 years, at 10% of its capacity. Mbomo iron deposit has never been exploited. The report Sicai Tractionnel shows, 900 Mt of ore@63% and another 900Mt@45%Fe was calculated on the basis of an extrapolation of the surface prospection on a depth of 70m. This Sicai-Tractionnel prospection was carried out in surface by trench. It is very interesting to note that the tectonics strongly straightened the sedimentary deposit which was horizontal at the origin. In addition, better resistant to erosion, itabirites have created mountains of more than 100m as shown in these cross sections.
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Vertical drop : 727m-551m = 176m
Vertical drop : 680m-532m = 148m
This important slope (60°) facilitates surface prospecting by digging trenches perpendicular to their plane.
Our 3 mining polygons covers 99% of this itabirite deposit as shown in this picture.
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Operating Conditions Of The Iron Ore Deposit
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The 60° slope of itabirite forming more than 100m mountains offers significant advantages for its exploitation. Over the level of the plain, there are no dewatering problems and the exploitation tracks will be arranged axially to minimise the volume of the ultimate pit. The extrapolation of the surface prospecting was carried out on depth of 70m, it should have been done on a depth of more than 100m and the 1-billion of ton of high grade ore would be reached.
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Exportation
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Even the ore is ready to be exported, pre-reducing iron ore by direct reduction before exporting is interesting because all the conditions are met to reduce the transport cost and by giving to Congo an added value:
Very high-grade ore is needed to produce iron sponge by DRI because the gangue in the ore remains in the sponge after DRI process.
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The DRI process remove oxygen (30%) and reduce the transport weight per ton of iron.
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Local availability of methane gas by pyrolysis of bituminous shales near Kisangani known since 1921
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Direct reduction of high grade iron ore methane gas provides a minimum of CO2 emission. This CO2 emission is produced in the middle of equatorial forest that will absorb CO2.
Transport by the West
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From the mine to the river, a 220km railway must be built. Between Kisangani to Kinshasa, the iron is transported by boat, down the river. Between Kinshasa to Matadi, a 366 km railway must be completed. This investment must be made as part of the rehabilitation of the country's infrastructure. Transhipment of iron sponge between wagons to barges and between barges to wagons can be done automatically, iron sponge will have to be compacted and protected against oxidation in blocs easy to move.
Transport by the East
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Once the railway coming from Mombasa will arrive in Kisangani, steel and iron sponge will be exported by the East and by the West. The first section between Mombasa to Nairobi is done, the section between Nairobi to Kampala is on its way. This railway will finally reach Kisangani as it is shown on the picture:
https://www.businesspost.ng/2017/02/17/african-corridor-management-alliance-strengthen-economic-corridors/ Reaching Kisangani, the railway will be feed by the Wanie Rukula hydroelectrical power station (750MW).
Steel Industry in Kisangani
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A new steel industry in Congo should be the ultimate step of the operation of the iron ore deposits. When the Wanie Rukula hydroelectrical power station (750MW) will be operational, a steel industry will be made to produce very inexpensive steel to feed central African countries and to bring jobs to the Congolese population. A lot of steel will be needed to rebuild the country.
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Fight Against Global Warming
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The steel industries that reduce iron ore with coke are very polluting, since the product of this reduction is a cast iron that is an alloy of iron and carbon. The cast iron is refined in a converter by oxygen which carries the carbon into CO2. Direct reduction of high grade iron ore with methane gas provides a minimum of CO2
emissions. A large part of this CO2 emission will be absorbed by surrounding equatorial forest. The realisation of this steel industry would be a priority accompanied with the essential construction of the domestication of Congo's hydroelectric potential.
