The GuyanaGeology and Mines Commission (GGMC) says that the Reunion ManganeseCompany has started exploration activities at Matthews Ridge and Pipiani, in Region One. The company is hoping to revive the manganese industry in the North West District. In an interview with Guyana Times on Wednesday, GGMC’s Geological Services Division Manager,Kampta Persaud, said that the company has obtained prospecting li-cences and has com-menced its groundwork for the project. He said that the company is car-rying out research to de-termine what mineral is left in the areas that were mined, and are ex-ploring unmined areas known to have manga-nese. Persaud stated that drilling will commence after the exploration pro-cess, but not before the necessary tools are pro-cured. He noted that the decision to revive the manganese industry is a business one, because Guyana has a growingpopulation and econo-my in which the demand for minerals is on the in-crease. Manganeseis used for making steel; so, as the demand for steel increases, so would the demand for man-ganese. Persaud point-ed out that the revival of this type of mining in that area would ensure direct and indirect devel-opments for Matthews Ridge in terms of em-ployment opportunities, infrastructure and med-ical facilities. “Should this manganese project kick-off, hundreds would be employed and roads would be rebuilt. One such ‘road’ is the railway linking Matthews Ridge and Port Kaituma, which was removed, but will be rebuilt. “There will also be improved medical fa-cilities and an improved airstrip,” Persaud said.The Canadian-based RMI, which was also in-volved in Golden Star op-erations and Omai Gold Mines Limited, obtained prospecting licences for the manganese projectfrom the Guyana gov-ernment last September. The company was award-ed four prospecting li-cences to conduct explo-ration and development activities in the North West District. The licences cover an area of 45,729 acres and are centred around the abandoned manga-nese mines at Matthews Ridge and Pipiani, which were operated by a sub-sidiary of Union Carbide Corporation from 1962 to 1968. In excess of 1.66 million tonnes of man-ganese concentrate were shipped from the mine site during that peri-od. The closure of the mine in 1968 was main-ly caused by the huge de-cline in the price of man-ganese.RMI’s licences are valid for an initial period of three years, and may be renewed for two addi-tional periods of one year each. RMI may apply for a mining licence cover-ing areas defined by the exploration effort during the exploration periodafter the submission of a positive feasibility study, environmental impactstatement, and mine de-velopment plan.The project consists of pitting, trenching and drilling in the old mine area with the objective of delineating a resource compliant with Canadian National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.RMI believes that potentially substan-tial manganese resourc-es exist in and around the Matthews Ridge de-posits. Modern process-ing techniques have in-creased the chances of developing an economic manganese mining and processing operation in the North West. RMI in-tends to aggressively ad-vance the exploration James Crombie (left) and David Fennel of Reunion Manganese Company sign the licensing agreement to facilitate exploration. Also in photo is Kampta Persaud of the GGMC and development efforts in the coming months, with a view to defining re-sources and identifying a development plan for the deposits. The companyis said to be well-funded to execute the work pro-gramme.In a release, David Fennell, chairman of the company, expressed con-fidence in the programme. “We are extremely excit-ed about this opportuni-ty. …The infrastructure and the proximity of the project to transportation is a considerable advan-tage for the project’s de-velopment and opera-tion. We have been able to assemble a highly ex-perienced team of profes-sionals (who are) famil-iar with both manganese exploration and develop-ment, and development of mining projects in the Guiana Shield. The fact that there was an oper-ation there in the past should reduce the explo-ration and development risks associated with projects of this type,” he said. Manganese is the fourth most consumed metal in the world. It ranks after iron, alu-minium and copper.Manganese is a key com-ponent in steel and iron production, and is in short supply.
Canadian firm looking for manganese in North West
The GuyanaGeology and Mines Commission (GGMC) says that the Reunion ManganeseCompany has started exploration activities at Matthews Ridge and Pipiani, in Region One. The company is hoping to revive the manganese industry in the North West District. In an interview with Guyana Times on Wednesday, GGMC’s Geological Services Division Manager,Kampta Persaud, said that the company has obtained prospecting li-cences and has com-menced its groundwork for the project. He said that the company is car-rying out research to de-termine what mineral is left in the areas that were mined, and are ex-ploring unmined areas known to have manga-nese. Persaud stated that drilling will commence after the exploration pro-cess, but not before the necessary tools are pro-cured. He noted that the decision to revive the manganese industry is a business one, because Guyana has a growingpopulation and econo-my in which the demand for minerals is on the in-crease. Manganeseis used for making steel; so, as the demand for steel increases, so would the demand for man-ganese. Persaud point-ed out that the revival of this type of mining in that area would ensure direct and indirect devel-opments for Matthews Ridge in terms of em-ployment opportunities, infrastructure and med-ical facilities. “Should this manganese project kick-off, hundreds would be employed and roads would be rebuilt. One such ‘road’ is the railway linking Matthews Ridge and Port Kaituma, which was removed, but will be rebuilt. “There will also be improved medical fa-cilities and an improved airstrip,” Persaud said.The Canadian-based RMI, which was also in-volved in Golden Star op-erations and Omai Gold Mines Limited, obtained prospecting licences for the manganese projectfrom the Guyana gov-ernment last September. The company was award-ed four prospecting li-cences to conduct explo-ration and development activities in the North West District. The licences cover an area of 45,729 acres and are centred around the abandoned manga-nese mines at Matthews Ridge and Pipiani, which were operated by a sub-sidiary of Union Carbide Corporation from 1962 to 1968. In excess of 1.66 million tonnes of man-ganese concentrate were shipped from the mine site during that peri-od. The closure of the mine in 1968 was main-ly caused by the huge de-cline in the price of man-ganese.RMI’s licences are valid for an initial period of three years, and may be renewed for two addi-tional periods of one year each. RMI may apply for a mining licence cover-ing areas defined by the exploration effort during the exploration periodafter the submission of a positive feasibility study, environmental impactstatement, and mine de-velopment plan.The project consists of pitting, trenching and drilling in the old mine area with the objective of delineating a resource compliant with Canadian National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.RMI believes that potentially substan-tial manganese resourc-es exist in and around the Matthews Ridge de-posits. Modern process-ing techniques have in-creased the chances of developing an economic manganese mining and processing operation in the North West. RMI in-tends to aggressively ad-vance the exploration James Crombie (left) and David Fennel of Reunion Manganese Company sign the licensing agreement to facilitate exploration. Also in photo is Kampta Persaud of the GGMC and development efforts in the coming months, with a view to defining re-sources and identifying a development plan for the deposits. The companyis said to be well-funded to execute the work pro-gramme.In a release, David Fennell, chairman of the company, expressed con-fidence in the programme. “We are extremely excit-ed about this opportuni-ty. …The infrastructure and the proximity of the project to transportation is a considerable advan-tage for the project’s de-velopment and opera-tion. We have been able to assemble a highly ex-perienced team of profes-sionals (who are) famil-iar with both manganese exploration and develop-ment, and development of mining projects in the Guiana Shield. The fact that there was an oper-ation there in the past should reduce the explo-ration and development risks associated with projects of this type,” he said. Manganese is the fourth most consumed metal in the world. It ranks after iron, alu-minium and copper.Manganese is a key com-ponent in steel and iron production, and is in short supply.
