Looking for manganese: President Bharrat Jagdeo inspects an exploratory trench dug by the company
The Reunion Manganese Company will be investing approximately US$18 million in Matthews Ridge between now and yearend, to upgrade infrastructures to aid in its search for manganese in the area.
Chairman of Reunion Manganese, David Fennell, while speaking at a community meeting in Matthews Ridge on Tuesday 22nd March, said it is the aim of the company to have the community developed by the third quarter of this year.
“We are developing all of the area, which eventually will (cost) about US$150 – US$250 million depending on what we have to do. We will develop the entire housing complex at Pakera. Some of the buildings that we have taken over we have turned into offices, because we need to create the infrastructure that we can work with effectively,” Fennell said.
This US$18 million only covers the first phase of the project, Fennell noted. He stated that the next phase of the project will be the engineering and development works. After this is completed, Fennell said, the company is going to start a feasibility study that will be completed by the first quarter of next year. “We should be in a position to apply for mining and operating permits by the second quarter of next year. It is going to be a significant development, but we haven’t been able to determine how big it is yet; but it is positive enough that we can state there is going to be a mine here. How big it is we are not sure yet, but those answers will become obvious in the near term,” he said.
Fennel added that there is ongoing dialogue with regards to what the needs of the community are, and several projects are being discussed which the company can participate in.
“Through the process of dialogue, we are going to identify the most pressing needs of the community, and we will see what we’ll be able to help with,” he said.
Meanwhile, President Bharrat Jagdeo, who also spoke at the meeting, said the manganese mine will become the anchor, because it will generate opportunities, not only in terms of employment for residents, but also benefits for subsidiary industries in the community.
“It will not just create opportunities for people to work directly with the mines, but to supply the mines. Also shops will benefit, because if you have seven hundred people working there, they will want to eat, they have to drink, they will want to come to party, and they will want to do all sorts of things, so a whole range of subsidiary industries will benefit,” he said.
The president expressed hope that the mine will spin off many positive activities in the community. Reunion Manganese is presently carrying out exploratory works in 12 Hills, which stretches for about 12km. The Canadian-based company, which was also involved in Golden Star operations and Omai Gold Mines Limited, obtained prospecting licenses from the Guyana government in September of last year for the manganese project. It was awarded four prospecting licences to conduct exploration and development activities in the North West District.
The project consists of pitting, trenching and drilling on the Matthews Ridge old mine.
Reunion believes there is potential for substantial manganese resources in and around the Matthews Ridge deposits. This, allied with modern processing technology, increases the chance of developing an economic manganese mining and processing operation in the NWD.
The company is aggressively advancing the exploration and development efforts in resources and identifying a development plan for the deposits.
The company is said to be well-funded to execute the work programme.
Manganese is the fourth largest metal consumed in the world, behind iron, aluminium and copper. Manganese is a key component in steel and iron production, and is in worldwide short supply.
Reunion Gold Corporation is an exploration company focused on acquiring and exploring projects in South America.
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