Introduction:
The Gambia does not have a large mining industry nor does it possess large discovered deposits of precious
minerals or gems, but there are deposits of lower value minerals in
certain areas. Successful mining of glass and quartz sand deposits for valuable minerals
has been carried out near the coast South of Banjul.
Carnegie Corporation Limited (CCl) of Australia (50%) in joint venture
with Astron Ltd. of China (50%) held an exclusive prospecting license
for the Batokunku, Kartong, Sanyang and Brufut mineral sands deposits.
In 2005, the joint venture completed a second-round trial dredge
program at the Sanyang deposit. Following the completion of this
dredge program the results are a follows:
Total measured, indicated, and inferred resources at the Batokunku,
the Kartong, and the Sanyang deposits were estimated to be 18.8
million metric tons (mt) that contained about 1 mt of heavy minerals
at a cut-off grade of 1%. The heavy-mineral assemblage for these
deposits was estimated to be about 71% ilmenite, 15% zircon, 3% rutile,
and 11% other (Carnegie Corporation ltd., 2005, p. 7-9; industrial
minerals, 2005a, b).
There is also the Farim phosphate rock deposit had estimated resources
of more than 166 mt at a grade of 29% P2O5.
Sources: Giepa, The Mineral Industries of The Gambia,
Guinea-Bissau, and Senegal 2005, Red back mining inc., 2006, p. 3;
2006§.
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Investment Opportunities:
Opportunities exist initially in exploration for minerals and
oil and gas, and the Government of The Gambia is very supportive
of these efforts.
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