DRC Mining Industry News

[BUTEMBO21]

This thread is dedicated to Mining activities, investemnt news.


Thank you.

[BUTEMBO21]

Tenke Fungurume: great development in the DRC mining .
Kinshasa, 28/09/2009 / Economy


Production of copper and cobalt project under development at Tenke Fungurume in Katanga. So an investment in the future of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Tenke Fungurume Mining has launched a major mining development project for the exploitation of copper and cobalt rich deposits located in one concession about 1,600 square kilometers between two urban towns Tenke and Fungurume.

These minerals are vital for the economic development of the DRC and the world. TFM is consistent with best international practices in the mining development project.


Therefore, it ensures that what he did today produce long-lasting effects throughout the country.

To do this, TFM has invested about 2 billion U.S. dollars in this project. The extraction of copper ore and cobalt began in October 2007 and their treatment, earlier this year. Receptions techniques for copper and cobalt are underway and commercial production is expected before the end of the year.

These internationally renowned facility will be able to produce 250 million pounds of copper cathodes and more than 18 million pounds of cobalt per year in the initial phase.

Over 50% of economic benefits this project will remain in Democratic Republic of Congo through payment of taxes.

If we consider the use of local services, it is certain that two-thirds of the profits from this project will remain in the country.

Indeed, during the construction phase, TFM has paid more than 100 million U.S. dollars in taxes for a period of about two years.

TFM is committed to investing in infrastructure projects in the region such investment of 140 million U.S. dollars to rehabilitate the hydro-electric Nseke and repair of 174 km of sections of road between Likasi and Fungurume.

TFM has 2 300 employees and 1 400 contractors. 98% of workers are Congolese. The project provides training to its workers and the transfer of technology and offer various opportunities for career advancement and development technical staff.

TFM is currently implementing a major program of sustainable development in collaboration with the Congolese government and community organizations, local NGOs and provincial areas of health, education and economic development in line with best international practices and "five yards of President of the Republic.

In developing its project and its operations, TFM minimizes the disturbance of the environment through programs and strategies for managing risks in accordance with best international practices and
ensuring that performance in this area meets the guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative.

Programs mitigate the effects against the environment include the installation of the first basin discharge fully clothed in thick membrane in Africa.




Tenke Fungurume : un développement minier grandiose en Rdc.
Kinshasa, 28/09/2009 / Economie
La production du cuivre et du cobalt sont en cours au projet de développement de Tenke Fungurume dans le Katanga. C’est donc un investissement dans l’avenir de la République démocratique du Congo.

Tenke Fungurume Mining a lancé un grand projet de développement minier pour l’exploitation du cuivre et du cobalt des gisements riches situés dans une concession d’environ 1.600 kilomètres carrés entre deux cités urbaines, Tenke et Fungurume.

Ces minerais sont vitaux pour le développement économique de la RDC et du monde. TFM se conforme aux meilleures pratiques internationales dans ce projet de développement minier.


Par conséquent, il s’assure que ce qu’il fait aujourd’hui produise des effets de longue durée dans tout le pays.

Pour ce faire, TFM a investi environ 2 milliards de dollars américains dans ce projet. L’extraction des minerais de cuivre et de cobalt a commencé en octobre 2007 et leur traitement, en début de cette année. Les réceptions techniques pour le cuivre et le cobalt sont en cours et la production commerciale est attendue avant la fin de l’année.

Ces installations de renom international seront en mesure de produire 250 millions de livres de cathodes de cuivre et plus de 18 millions de livres de cobalt par an dans la phase initiale.

Plus de 50% de bénéfices économiques de ce projet vont demeurer en République Démocratique du Congo grâce aux paiements des taxes et impôts.

Si l’on considère l’utilisation des services locaux, il est certain que les deux-tiers des profits de ce projet vont demeurer dans le pays.

En effet, durant la phase de construction, TFM a payé plus de 100 millions de dollars américains en taxes et impôts pendant une période d’à peu près deux ans.

TFM s’est engagé à investir dans les projets d’infrastructure de la région tels l’investissement de 140 millions de dollars américains pour la réhabilitation de la centrale hydro-électrique de Nseke et la réparation de 174 km de tronçons de la route nationale entre Likasi et Fungurume.

TFM compte 2 300 employés et 1 400 contractants. 98% des travailleurs sont des Congolais. Le projet assure la formation continue de ses travailleurs ainsi que le transfert de technologie et offre diverses opportunités d’avancement professionnel et de perfectionnement technique à son personnel.

TFM est en train de mettre en oeuvre un programme important de développement durable en collaboration avec le gouvernement congolais et des organisations communautaires non gouvernementales locales et provinciales dans les domaines de la santé, l’éducation et du développement économique conformément aux meilleures pratiques internationales et aux « cinq chantiers » du président de la République.

Dans le développement de son projet et de ses opérations, TFM minimise la perturbation de l’environnement en adoptant des programmes et des stratégies de gestion de risques conformément aux meilleures pratiques internationales et en
s’assurant que la performance dans ce domaine répond aux indicateurs du Global Reporting Initiative.

Les programmes de mitigation des effets contre l’environnement comprennent l’installation du premier bassin de rejets entièrement revêtu de membrane épaisse en Afrique.

(CL/PKF)

C.L/MMC




Last edited: 28/09/2009 19:03:33

[MBA-Congo]

Fungurume is going to be huge, in a few year time it will surpass lubumbashi, kolwezi and likasi.

[BUTEMBO21]

[BUTEMBO21]

[BUTEMBO21]

Plaidoyer pour la création d’une école nationale des mines.
Kinshasa, 13/10/2009 / Economie


Cette aura pour objectif, la mise en œuvre de l’artisanat minier en vue de la création des organismes chargés de la valorisation des substances minérales du pays pour une création, à la clef, d’une Société Géologique Nationale.

Comment sortir la République Démocratique du Congo de l’exploitation sauvage de ses ressources ? Face à cette interrogation primordiale découlant du dernier rapport sulfureux du Sénat sur le secteur minier, un compatriote, Joseph Ko*konyangi Witanene, a ébau*ché une stratégie pour aider le pays à sortir de ce maras*me.

Géologue de formation et professeur à Gondwana Institute for Geology and Environnement au Japon, Joseph Kokonyangi va droit au but en plaidant pour la création de l’Ecole Nationa*le de Prospection, Mines et Métallurgie (ENPMM).

Elle aura pour objectif, affirme-*t-il, la mise en œuvre de l’artisanat minier en vue de la création des organismes chargés de la valorisation des substances minérales du pays pour une création, à la clef, d’une Société Géologique Nationale.

Plus encore, cette école per*mettra la disponibilisation d’une main d’œuvre techni*que conséquente pour les investisseurs miniers qui affluent de tous les coins du monde vers la RDC et l’amélioration de la gestion des entreprises minières et du patrimoine minier.

Indispensables dans beaucoup de pays exploitant l’industrie minière, les éco-*techniques nationales forment une main d’œuvre locale qui rend les investis*sements relativement moins chers.

Le cas de l’Inde, par exemple, le personnel qualifié formé chaque année s’évalue à 400.000 diplô*més ingénieurs et 265.000 porteurs de titres A1 d’étu*des d’ingénieurs et techni*ciens. Les investisseurs sont attirés par ce person*nel qualifié qui fait de l’Inde un pays de premier choix dans le domaine de l’indus*trie minière... témoigne le professeur congolais.

Par contre au Nigeria, dans les 45 académies que regor*geait ce pays en 1978, 35 possédaient des écoles ou des facultés orientées vers le développement de l’industrie minière et pétrolière. « Ceci explique bien l’état très avancé de ce pays dans ce domaine aujourd’hui... » conclut-il.

La RDC, un pays dont l’économie est à plus de 70% tributaire des mines et géologie n’a aucune école technique. Conséquence, regrette le Dr Joseph Koko*nyangi, aucun atelier ouvert sur l’appel d’offres de gise*ments dans notre pays n’a abouti jusqu’à ce jour par manque de données répon*dant aux critères internatio*naux admis comme le Joint One Resource Calculation (JORC) australien et le Norme canadien 41.

Analysant la situa*tion géologico-minière de notre pays avant son acces*sion à l’indépendance, le prof. Kokonyangi, vice-pré*sident de la Société Géolo*gique d’Afrique, a rappelé que jadis chaque société minière procédait à des recherches géologiques à très court terme en mettant en évidence les ressources directement exploitables.

« Il importait peu la méthode et les moyens utilisés pour y parvenir » a-t-il souligné, tout en précisant que les méthodes et procédés ja*dis utilisés ne sont plus aujourd’hui, malheureuse*ment, acceptables par les nations qui ont établi des normes d’acceptation et de classement des ressour*ces.

Participation des natio*naux au développement minier

La participation et contribution des nationaux au développement de l’industrie minière du pays sont indispensables. Tel est le credo du prof. Koko*nyangi Joseph. Pour cela, ajoute-t-il, il faut avant toute chose, former un personnel national qualifié pour espé*rer arriver à un développe*ment durable de l’industrie minière congolaise.

En clair pour ce géologue, les diplô*més d’universités sont d’un niveau et d’une quantité tels qu’ils ne peuvent pas assu*rer les travaux de techni*ciens de terrain comme les prospecteurs, les boutefeux, les sondeurs, les topogra*phes, les conducteurs des travaux dans les mines et les techniciens métallurgis*tes sur toute l’étendue de notre pays aux dimensions continentales.

« Avant de former les ingénieurs et les géologues d’université, il parait donc plus opportun et pratique de former les techniciens qui sont leurs collaborateurs immédiats » clame-t-il. En d’autres ter*mes, on ne peut pas former des médecins sans former les infirmiers qui sont leurs collaborateurs immédiats.

En guise de conclu*sion, affirme-t-il, aux fins de maîtriser les données géologico-minières de no*tre pays, de constituer des banques de données fia*bles à l’intérieur du pays et de disponibiliser une main d’œuvre locale spécialisée, la création d’une école nationale de prospection, mi*nes et métallurgie s’avère une urgence pour la RDC.

Le Phare



Plea for creation of a national school of Minerals.
Kinshasa, 13/10/2009 / Economy
This will target the implementation of the traditional mining for the creation of agencies responsible for recovery of minerals from the country for a generation, the key, a National Geological Society.

How to leave the Democratic Republic of Congo to the uncontrolled exploitation of its resources? Faced with this fundamental question arising from the last report of the Senate on sulfur mining, a countryman, Joseph Kokonyangi Witanene, outlined a strategy to help the country out of this mess.

Geologist and professor at Gondwana Institute for Geology and Environment in Japan, Joseph Kokonyangi to the point in arguing for the creation of the National School of Prospecting, Mining and Metallurgy (ENPMM).

It will aim, says he, the implementation of the traditional mining for the creation of agencies responsible for recovery of minerals from the country for a generation, the key, a National Geological Society .

Moreover, this school will ensure the availability of technical manpower consequent to mining investors flocking from all over the world to the DRC and improving management of mining companies and mining heritage.

Indispensable in many countries exploiting the mining industry, national eco-technology form a local workforce makes investments relatively cheaper.

The case of India, for example, qualified personnel trained annually evaluates graduates 400,000 engineers and 265,000 Securityholders A1 studies of engineers and technicians. Investors are attracted by qualified personnel who made India a country of first choice in the mining industry ... Professor testifies Congolese.

By cons in Nigeria in the 45 academies that overflowed the country in 1978 had 35 schools or faculties oriented towards the development of mining and petroleum. "This clearly explains the very advanced state of this country in this area today ... "He concluded.

The DRC, a country whose economy is more than 70% dependent on the mines and geology has no technical school. Consequently, sorry Dr. Joseph Kokonyangi no open workshop on the tender deposits in our country has produced so far by lack of data to meet international standards accepted as the Joint One Resource Calculation (JORC) Australian and Canadian Standard 41.

Checking the geological and mining conditions of our country before its independence, prof. Kokonyangi, Vice-President of the Geological Society of Africa, said that once every mining company was conducting geological research in the very short term by highlighting the resources used directly.

"It did not matter the method and means used to achieve it," he said, while noting that the methods and processes not previously used are now, unfortunately, accepted by nations that have established standards for acceptance and resource classification.

Participation of national mining development

The participation and contribution to national development of the country's mining industry are indispensable. Such is the credo of prof. Koko-Nyangi Joseph. For this, says he is, above all, form a national staff trained to expect to achieve sustainable development of the Congolese mining industry.

Clearly for this geologist, university graduates have a level and quantity as they can not ensure the work of field technicians as prospectors, blasters, pollsters, surveyors, drivers work in mines and metallurgical technicians across the whole of our country of continental dimensions.

"Before forming the engineers and geologists to university, it therefore seems more appropriate and practical to train technicians who are their immediate staff," cries he. In other words, we can not train doctors without training nurses who are their immediate staff.

In conclusion, says he, for controlling the geological and mining data from our country, to establish reliable databases within the country and to avail a local workforce specialized creation a national school of prospecting, mining and metallurgy is an emergency for the DRC.

http://digitalcongo.net/article/61732

[BUTEMBO21]

Joseph Kabila inaugurated Ledya Metal Foundry
Kinshasa, 9/18/2007.
Ledya Metal Foundry (Folemet), a factory of production of steel bars located on 14th street Limete in Kinshasa, has been solemnly inaugurated on Monday 17 September.
The ceremony of inauguration has been presided personally by the president of the Republic Joseph Kabila. By his presence, the Head of State encouraged the president general manager of the Group Ledya, Jean Lengo Dia Ndinga, a Congolese economic operator who succeeds in the world of business. With Folemet, this one has just embarked on the industry sector remained dominated by the foreign economic operators for a long timed.


It was thereabouts 10h30', when the President of the Republic made his entrance in facilities of Folemet. Among the numerous guests, one noted the presence of parliamentarians, of the government's members, of the economic operators, of the governor of Bas-Congo Mbatshi Batsia, of the president of the provincial assembly of Bas-Congo… The personnel of the Group Ledya reserved to the president J. Kabila a cordial welcome. In his speech of circumstance, the CHAIRMAN Jean Ledya appreciated the value honour made to the Group Ledya by the President of the Republic.

Ledya enters in the world of industrial

Jean Lengo is going to underline that the inauguration of Folemet devotes the entrance of the Group Ledya in the Congolese industrial family. Of its benefit, it comes out again that the Group Ledya started its activities in 1987 with the import-export, the road and fluvial transport, the transit, the civil engineering, agriculture and the hotel trade.

After 20 years of existence, the Group Ledya began to bring its contribution to the reconstruction of the DRC, notably by the creation of new works in the domain of production of materials of construction and mines. To this day, the Group Ledya operates in Kinshasa and in the province of Equateur. Thus, to Kinshasa Group has two units of production. The Chinese technology foundry inaugurated Monday has a capacity of 60 tons per day. The pursued objective is to put on the market a minimum of 10.000 tons of steel per year, either 30% of the national consumption value to 35.000 tons per year.

According to the CHAIRMAN Jean Lengo, Folemet permits to increase the industrial park of Kinshasa. She is going to create new works (250), to lower selling prices of construction materials and to reduce delays of provision…

" On the other hand, this enterprise participates in the struggle against the poverty. Indeed, the used technology requires an abundant work force. This project creates 250 new permanent works… The Foundry contributes to the cleaning of the town of Kinshasa by the picking up the old steels that constitute some supplementary incomes for compatriots who are taking care of them ".

And to add that in the setting of five yards, the Group Ledya is going to start in days to come the exploitation of carrière des îles Mimosas in Kinshasa (Kinsuka). Facilities relative there are acquired already. On the other hand in Equateur, the Group Ledya has a unit of production. It starts the lumbering there to Bikoro with its filial Leditac Exfor. With the installation of four sawmills, there was creation of 100 new works.

With regard to the mining sector, the Group operates to Katanga and Bas-Congo, in the prospecting of ores. " Our wish is that the government reserves to the local industries all the old steels available in the country, without which our local industries won't be able to make long fire ", such is the demand formulated by the CHAIRMAN of Ledya. Intervening to this opportunity, the minister of the industry Simon Mboso greeted the inauguration of Folemet, intervened after the laying of the foundation stone of the cement factory of the Oriental province (Cipor)…

[Xusein]

Nice development. Does Congo have lots of foundries?

[BUTEMBO21]

No, only two , one in Kinshasa and one in Lubulmbashi.

Ledya Metal is the thrird one and is private.

[BUTEMBO21]

The mighty Congolese/African mining giant GEMANINES is back in Business.

[Xusein]

Originally Posted by BUTEMBO21

No, only two , one in Kinshasa and one in Lubulmbashi.

Ledya Metal is the thrird one and is private.

Thanks for sharing. For sure there is lots of potential.

[BUTEMBO21]

[BUTEMBO21]

[BUTEMBO21]

[BUTEMBO21]

[BUTEMBO21]

Originally Posted by MBA-Congo

...

[kaps76]

First Quantum Eyes International Arbitration in Congo (Update1)
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By Michael Kavanagh

Oct. 21 (Bloomberg) -- First Quantum Minerals Ltd., the Canadian mining company that had a $553 million copper project canceled by the Congolese government last month, said it may seek international arbitration in its dispute with the state.

Congo last month canceled the company’s Kingamyambo Musonoi Tailings project in the southern Katanga project on the grounds that the company was unwilling to adapt its contract as requested during a government review of 61 mining accords. First Quantum declared force majeure at the project two days later.

“We stand by our earlier comments that we retain legal right to the project,” Clive Newall, president of the Vancouver- based company, said in a mobile-phone interview today. “We will continue to pursue negotiations, but if the government won’t cooperate, we retain our right to pursue international arbitration.”

First Quantum’s investment in the project, known as KMT, was the biggest to be canceled under the government review, which was partly aimed at boosting state revenue. The company had planned to produce 70,000 metric tons of copper and 14,000 tons of cobalt a year in Kolwezi from early 2012.

The dispute went before a court today in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa. Patrick Moninga, a lawyer for KMT, said the case shouldn’t have been allowed before the court because technically all the required papers weren’t in order.

“We do not want to pursue the case here any longer,” Moninga said in an interview after the hearing.

Gecamines

Martin Nghenda Lukombe, the lawyer for Gecamines, the state-owned mining company, argued that the case should continue in Congo.

“They brought the complaint and began the process; they need to finish it,” he said in an interview.

First Quantum owns 65 percent of the Kolwezi venture, state-owned Gecamines 12.5 percent, the Industrial Development Corp. of South Africa 10 percent, the World Bank’s International Financial Corp. 7.5 percent and the state has 5 percent.

Congo canceled the project because output failed to start in February 2008 as agreed, First Quantum said in an Aug. 28 statement, citing a letter from Prime Minister Adolphe Muzito.

First Quantum also didn’t make an upfront payment of $130 million, didn’t give Gecamines 40 percent of the venture, refused to pay it 2.5 percent royalties on gross turnover, and declined to drop 1.5 percent management fees on sales, the letter said, according to the company.

Congo has 4 percent of the world’s copper reserves and the largest cobalt deposits.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...d=aqCwhnrbnOrA

[kaps76]

Freeport-McMoRan says still talking over Congo mine

NEW YORK, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold (FCX.N) is producing metal from its vast Tenke Fungurume mine in Democratic Congo, even as it is talking with the Kinshasa government over a contract review that has threatened to cancel some mining permits in the central African nation.

"We are working cooperatively with the government and are encouraged by comments made by people close to the government on the benefits of the project for the country," the U.S. mining company's president and chief executive officer, Richard Adkerson, said on Wednesday.

Asked during a conference call with Wall Street analysts about the status of the contract review, he said: "There's not much to say other than we are continuing discussions."

He said Freeport had a sound contract under which the company was working at Tenke Fungurume. He stressed the government was not seeking a new contract, but rather was "revisiting" the current deal, which gives Congolese state miner Gecamines a 17.5 percent stake in the operation.

"We have offered to do some things differently," Adkerson said, without elaborating.

Congo completed a review of 61 mining contracts in August as part of an effort to boost state revenues from agreements signed mostly during the chaos and corruption of a 1998-2003 war and the transitional government that followed.

Freeport and Lundin Mining (LUN.TO), its partner in the Tenke Fungurume copper and cobalt project, were given until Oct. 12 to complete negotiations with the government or risk losing their permit. That deadline has passed and Freeport said it is still talking.

In its third-quarter earnings report, the Phoenix, Arizona-based company said it plans to start a feasibility study this year to evaluate a second phase of the project that would potentially increase capacity by 50 percent. The current operations are designed to produce 250 million pounds of copper and 18 million pounds of cobalt per year.

Freeport began mining metal at the mine in March and is now shipping it by truck, via Angola, to South Africa, Adkerson said.

During the conference call, Adkerson confirmed that three Freeport staff at Tenke were acquitted in what he termed "an incident of corruption by a government official," who was charged with embezzlement from an account into which Freeport was depositing money for work visas.

"There was never any credible evidence of wrong-doing by our employees," he said.

Freeport has a 57.75 percent stake in the Tenke mine, while Canada's Lundin Mining owns 24.75 percent. (Reporting by Steve James; Editing by Gary Hill).

http://www.reuters.com/article/marke...50626220091021

[BUTEMBO21]

Twenty mining contracts being terminated
(Xinhuanet 23/10/2009)

KINSHASA - The Congolese Vice-Minister of Mines Victor Kasongo Shomary said Thursday that 25 mining contracts are threatened with termination by December 2009.

According to him, many mining companies operate with contracts that do not allow the DRC to make a profit.

"We'll see if studies have been made. The companies will present their reasons and the Ministry of Mines will decide whether to extend the deadline or withdraw the permits," he said.

"The goal for the Congolese government is to entrust the mining assets in the hands of capable," said Vice-Minister of Mines DRC.

He criticized these companies, he has not mentioned the names, they have neither finalized nor submitted their feasibility studies.

Since the opening of Parliament, several Congolese MPs call for a plenary debate of the Congolese National Assembly on the management of mining concessions.

"We need the government gives us enough information on the results of the revision of mining contracts that began in 2007," said an opposition member.

According to Mr. Gilbert Kiakuama, member of the Congolese opposition, the mismanagement of mineral resources in DRC is obvious.
Published 2009-10-23 09:56:57 |

© Copyright Xinhuanet

[BUTEMBO21]

Mineral-Invest-International intends to settle in the DRC to exploit gold, coltan and diamonds Tuesday, October 27, 2009

The company Mineral-Invest-International with headquarters based in Sweden, intends to settle in the DRC to exploit gold, coltan and diamonds. The governor of Orientale Province, Medard Autsai, was informed during the courtesy call that he had made MM. JOACHIM ANDERSON and TOMY WILBERT, respectively COO and CTO of this company.


According to Mr. Joachim, initially, Mineral - Invest - International will embark on the buying of gold, pending the outcome of the ongoing process of exchange of information with potential partners which it will sign contracts for exploration before moving to the operational phase itself.

Besides the presentation of the company, Mr. Joachim Anderson also presented the organization of his company, his expertise in Africa and its expansion worldwide and its technology.

The Chief Executive thanked the provincial investors the interest they attach to the DRC and its province, that the rest will benefit from their expertise, their technology and capital and they gave assurances on security their investment in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

ACP / DCI