Huila: At least 19 of the 35 mineral resources on Angola's geological map are being explored, with others in the final stages of prospecting in Huila province, ANGOP has learned. Located in the south of Angola, Huila province covers a territorial area of 79,022 km² and is home to approximately 3 million people. The province is notable for the extraction of iron, mineral water, diamonds, gold, and ornamental rocks, with ongoing prospecting for kaolin, manganese, mica, cobalt, niobium, and other minerals.
According to Angola Press News Agency, Domingos Kalumana, director of the integrated economic development office, stated that the largest local mining concessions are for ornamental rocks, with 147 licenses issued. Additionally, there are 20 authorizations for the exploration of other minerals, such as mineral water, copper, diamonds, cobalt, and niobium. Kalumana noted that the latter two are located in the Quilengues region, with extraction processes slated to begin soon, promising to generate more than two thousand jobs.
The mining history in Huila province includes the Cassinga mining complex, a series of iron and gold mines that have been operational since 1967. Currently, there is a significant focus on the exploration of niobium, a rare superconducting material used in the space industry, which will be mined for the first time in this region. Niobium is one of the rarest minerals globally, utilized in the manufacture of turbines, spacecraft, aircraft, missiles, the electronics industry, and power plants. It also plays a role in producing steel alloys and superconductors.
To support this development, a mining company with Chinese capital has invested 100 million US dollars in the Quilengues concession, which spans 160 square kilometers in the Bonga and Tchivira Carbonatite complex. Mining in Angola holds vast potential, with a focus on diamonds, iron ore, copper, and other ornamental stones. However, it continues to face challenges such as a lack of infrastructure and the issue of illegal mining.
