Luanda – The mining prospecting works initiated by the multinational Anglo American, in the provinces of Moxico (east) and Cunene (south) will be concluded in roughly three months’ time, said the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Geological Institute of Angola, Canga Xiaquivuila.
At the start of the activity, he explained, these aero-geophysical studies for the two locations in East and South Angola, respectively, will involve two aircrafts: one engaged in electromagnetic survey, in Moxico, and the other in magnetic survey, in Cunene.
The operation results from mining investment contracts, signed by Anglo American and the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas (MIREMPET), in November 2019, and will make it possible to select the areas of interest for mining exploration in these provinces, in a first phase.
Anglo American (British multinational) signed five contracts with MIREMPET, three for the province of Cunene, for base metals (copper, cobalt and nickel), and two in Moxico (copper, cobalt and silver).
“After recognition, come the steps of discovery, deposit and evaluation of the resource, until reaching the mineral. It’s an aero-geophysical moment, which happens in the best possible way because of the National Geology Plan (PLANAGEO) that came to improve and assess the country’s geographic potential”, Canga Xiaquivuila described.
He went on to say that in order to achieve the final goal, which includes reaching the best results, extraction of minerals can take much more than 15 years, but with the investment of the Angolan government, the time of transformation to a mine was reduced.
“I can’t specify the amounts of that investment. However, with my experience as a technician, it can take 30 million dollars a year,” he said.
The Investor
In 2020, the executive director of Anglo American, Mark Cutifane, said he was impressed with the strategic vision of Angola, the state with which he signed five agreements, from which he expects benefits for the Angolan communities, as well as for Anglo American.
“I was impressed with the strategic vision that the Angolan minister Diamantino Azevedo has for Angola in particular, and what he wants to do with the Mining Sector” he stressed at the time, on the sidelines of the “Indaba Mining” held in that year, at the Cape Town, South Africa.
On the occasion, he showed that what he most hoped for is that the five agreements signed with Angola could benefit the Angolan communities and the company he manages, adding that he is interested in all the minerals that the country has.
Anglo American is one of the five best diamond exploration companies in the world, with BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Vale.
Anglo American PIC is a British mining company and one of the largest in the world in this area of business, dedicated to the exploration and processing of metals from platinum, as well as diamonds, copper, nickel, ore iron and coal.
Source: Angola Press News Agency