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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | Recent discoveries of gold, zinc and diamond deposits in western Africa; their socio-economic impacts |
Author: | Goossens, Pierre |
Year: | 2000 |
Periodical: | Bulletin des séances = Mededelingen der zittingen |
Volume: | 46 |
Issue: | 4 |
Pages: | 513-527 |
Language: | English |
Geographic term: | West Africa |
Subjects: | mineral exploration gold mining |
Abstract: | Some 900 tons of gold and 1 million tons of zinc have been identified following the discovery and development of five geochemical anomalies by local geological surveys in West Africa assisted by multilateral and bilateral aid programmes. The estimated value amounts to 8.2 billion US dollars, while the total cost of the exploration programme was less then 22.5 million US dollars. The return on each dollar invested thus amounts to 360 US dollars. By the end of 1999, 86 tons of gold had been produced from only two (Syama and Sadiola, both in Mali) out of the four gold deposits discovered, generating 800 million US dollars. To the Malian government, this meant some 100 million US dollars in taxes and 3,600 new jobs. Exploitation of the largest gold deposit in the country, Morila, will start in 2001, and will contribute even more significantly to the social and economic development of Mali. This will be followed soon by the development of Samira, in Niger. Ref., sum. in English, French and Dutch. |