Mining in Sierra Leone

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Diamond mining in Sierra Leone
Youyi Building , seat of the Ministry of Mining

The mining industry in Sierra Leone plays an important economic role. Sierra Leone is rich in mineral resources, especially bauxite , diamonds , gold , iron ore and rutile . The civil war in Sierra Leone from 1991 to 2002 revolved primarily around the diamond deposits, the so-called blood diamonds .

The mining contributes about 20 percent to the gross domestic product and 90 percent of the export revenue in the country.

The sector is under the Ministry of Mining . The technical implementation is carried out by the state National Minerals Agency (NMA).

The Sierra Leone Chamber of Mines , the country's mining chamber, has been representing the sector since 2014 . The basis is the Mines and Mineral Act from 2009.

history

Commercial mining began in Sierra Leone in the 1920s after the first bauxite deposits were discovered at Falaba . Diamonds were found in the early 1930s and mined exclusively by the Sierra Leone Selection Trust (SLST) until 1956 .

Although the mining monopoly was originally granted for 99 years, the SLST gave up mining rights outside its mining area in 1955. Above all, this allowed mining as part of small-scale mining . By 1965 there was a massive migration of workers from farming to mining. In 1970 the SLST merged with the government to form the National Diamond Mining Corporation (NDMC).

Before the beginning of the civil war in 1991, about 250,000 people were employed in mining, which was more than 14 percent of the total workforce.

Problems

Bad working conditions in a Sierra Leonean diamond mining area

In general, the mining sector in Sierra Leone is characterized by numerous problems. Weak legislation, smuggling and unsafe working conditions are among the main problems. The sector has become more professional since the civil war. Up to 50 percent of the Sierra Leonean diamonds are smuggled (as of 2006).

Degradation products

bauxite

bauxite
year metric tons
in thousands
2018
2017 1787,700  
2016 1368.531  
2015 1334.046  
2014 1161.705  
2013 0616,000
Source:

Sierra Leone is one of the 12 major bauxite producing countries, an aluminum - bronze . About 0.5 percent of world production comes from the country. Bauxite deposits have been found in practically all parts of Sierra Leone. Main mining areas are in the Moyamba district , around Freetown and Kamakwie .

Diamonds

Diamonds
year carat
in thousands
2018
2017 289  
2016 550  
2015 500  
2014 594  
2013 605  
2012 533
2000 77  
1990 78  
1980 592  
1970 1,955  
Source:

In the past diamonds were the basis of the Sierra Leonean mining industry, but have lost their importance over the past 30 years. The diamonds obtained achieve one of the highest carat prices in the world . In 1970 Sierra Leone was one of the six largest producers of natural diamonds worldwide , currently (as of 2017) still one of the ten largest.

The main mining areas are located on around a quarter of the land area of ​​Sierra Leone, mainly in the east and south-east. The diamond fields take up about 20,000 square kilometers. The main mining areas are in the districts of Kono , Kenema , Bo and Pujehun .

Iron ore

After 35 years of retirement, mining of hematite started again on February 11, 2010 in the Marampa mine . The Tonkolili District has the largest iron ore deposits in Africa and the third largest in the world.

gold

Gold mining began primarily with small-scale mining in alluvial soils . After the end of the civil war, large-scale commercial mining began. Various exploration and mining companies received licenses between 2004 and 2015. Between 2013 and 2017, 545 kilograms of gold were mined in Sierra Leone.

Titanium ores

Rutile / ilmenite
year metric tons
in thousands
2018
2017 166,000 / 54,000   
2016 148.541 / 28.102   
2015 126.021 / 48.420   
2014 115.078 / 35.839   
2013 120.350 / 32.350
Source:

Sierra Leone is one of the five largest countries of origin of rutile , a titanium ore . The mining takes place in at least 19 mines on an area of ​​580 square kilometers. The country is one of the six largest producers of ilmenite .

The mining is monopolistic in the hands of Sierra Rutile , a subsidiary of the Australian Iluka Resources .

Other minerals

Zirconium minerals are also mined on a small scale in Sierra Leone .

See also

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Sierra Leone - Economy. World Fact Book. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  2. ^ Sierra Leone Chamber of Mines resuscitated. Awoko, July 6, 2014.
  3. ^ Understanding the Sierra Leone Chamber of Mines. Chamber of Mines. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  4. ^ The Mines and Mineral Axt, 2009. Republic of Sierra Leone, Jan. 7, 2010.
  5. ^ A b Priscilla Schwartz: Sustainable Development and Mining in Sierra Leone . Pneuma Springs Publishing, October 31, 2006, ISBN 978-1-905809-05-9 , pp. 28-29, (accessed June 24, 2019).
  6. ↑ a b c AN OVERVIEW OF KEY MINERALS . Sierra Leone Ministry of Mineral Resources. January 21, 2010. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  7. ↑ PAL Greenhalgh: West African diamonds, 1919-1983: an economic history . Manchester University Press ND, 1985, ISBN 978-0-7190-1763-6 , p. 3.
  8. ↑ Victoria Federico: The Curse of Natural Resources and Human Development: A New Perspective on Institutions . 2007. Archived from the original on March 22, 2012. Retrieved on June 21, 2019.
  9. ↑ Ro Maconachie: Diamond mining, governance initiatives and post-conflict development in Sierra Leone . The University of Manchester Brooks World Poverty Institute. July 2008. Retrieved February 20, 2012.
  10. ↑ Killing Kimberley? Conflict Diamonds and Paper Tigers… Ottawa 2006, Issue 15. ( available online )
  11. ^ World Mineral Production. British Geological Survey, 2019, p. 2.
  12. ^ World Mineral Production. British Geological Survey, 2019, p. 22.
  13. ^ Marampa Haematite Iron Ore Mine, Sierra Leone . mining-technology.com. Retrieved June 23, 2019.
  14. ↑ Chanel de Bruyn: Sierra Leone grants Tonkolili iron-ore license . In: Mining Weekly , August 27, 2010. Retrieved June 23, 2019. 
  15. ^ Tonkolili mine opens for business . In: The African Business Journal , January 6, 2012. Retrieved June 23, 2019. 
  16. ↑ Getting at the Gold in Southern Sierra Leone . Voice of Africa news. April 22, 2010. Accessed June 24, 2019.
  17. ^ World Mineral Production. British Geological Survey, 2019, p. 28.
  18. ^ World Mineral Production. British Geological Survey, 2019, p. 75.
  19. ↑ KEY PLAYERS OVERVIEW . Sierra Leone Ministry of Mineral Resources. January 21, 2010. Accessed June 24, 2019.
  20. ↑ Background Note: Sierra Leone . US Department of State: Economy. March 8, 2011. Accessed June 24, 2019.
  21. ↑ Storied past, future potential for Sierra Rutile. In: Mining Journal - Sierra Leone, September 2018, pp. 6f.
  22. ^ World Mineral Production. British Geological Survey, 2019, p. 82.