Mining in Namibia

Last updated
View of Navachab gold mine .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct,.mw-parser-output .geo-inline-hidden{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap} 21deg59'01''S 015deg46'00''E / 21.98361degS 15.76667degE / -21.98361; 15.76667 Navachab Gold Mine.jpg
View of Navachab gold mine
21°59′01″S015°46′00″E / 21.98361°S 15.76667°E / -21.98361; 15.76667

Mining is the biggest contributor to Namibia's economy in terms of revenue. It accounts for 25% of the country's income. [1] Its contribution to the gross domestic product (10.4% in 2009, 8.5% in 2010, 9.5% in 2011, 12.3% in 2012, 13.2% in 2013, 11.6% in 2014) is also very important and makes it one of the largest economic sectors of the country. [2] Namibia produces diamonds, uranium, copper, magnesium, zinc, silver, gold, lead, semi-precious stones and industrial minerals. [3] The majority of revenue (7.2% of GDP in 2011) comes from diamond mining. [4] [5] In 2014, Namibia was the fourth-largest exporter of non-fuel minerals in Africa. [3]

Contents

Overview

Namibia has a long tradition of mining. In 2018, mining contributed 14% of GDP and expanded 28%. [6] Extensive exploration in Namibia for base metals, diamonds, gold, natural gas, and uranium has been attributed, in part, to the rise in world commodity prices. [7] Under the Mining Act, the natural resources of Namibia belong to the State. However, the state in Namibia is limited to the role of a grantor-regulator than an owner-operator. [8] One of the main challenges of the mining industry is the lack of water resources, as the availability of fuel and electric power. [7]

A mining policy in Namibia was developed in 2003 through research with the information made available by key stakeholders. [9]

Production

World Bank pointed out that mining in Namibia grew an average of 4.6% over the 2000–2012 period. The growth of the mining sector is influenced by the global economy and demand, in contrast to the agricultural industry in Namibia, which is influenced by environmental conditions. [3]

In 2019, the mining industry contributed over 300 million dollars to government revenue. The whole industry contributed around 2.2 billion dollars to the national economy in the same period. However, a drop in diamond and uranium production caused a contraction of 11,1%. Lower mineral commodity prices led to the declining expenditure on exploration. [8]

In 2006, manganese, diamond, and fluorspar output increased by 158%, 24%, and 15%, respectively, compared with that of 2005, and copper, lead, wollastonite, and zinc posted significant production declines.

The increase in manganese was attributable to the expansion of production at the reopened Purity Mine (formerly the Otjisondu Mine). The decline in copper output could be attributed in part to instability during the transition of ownership of Ongopolo Mining and Processing Ltd. Lead and zinc output declined in part because of a short strike by workers at the Rosh Pinah mine. [7]

Employment

In 2019, the mining industry paid over 300 million dollars in wages and salaries and provided 16,324 direct jobs with 9,027 permanent employees. Temporary jobs figured out 800, while 6,515 were contractor jobs. [8]

In February 2020, mining operations were suspended at Tschudi because the oxide ore body was depleted, provocating the loss of 66 direct contractor jobs. For the same cause, mining operations ceased at Skorpion Zinc, and the mine closed due to safety concerns. Around 1,500 jobs were lost. [8]

Depending on economic up and downswings, mining provided for around 6,000 to 8,000 direct jobs between 2007 and 2014. [5] The artisans for the industry are educated in the Namibian Institute of Mining and Technology (NIMT) in Arandis, Keetmanshoop, and Tsumeb, as well as at University of Namibia (UNAM)'s Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology in Ongwediva. [4] Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST)'s Faculty of Engineering in Windhoek also provides mining education.

Structure of the mineral industry

The Government encourages private sector exploration and development according to guidelines set out in its 2003 paper entitled "The Mineral Policy of Namibia". The Ministry of Mines and Energy and its Diamond Affairs, Energy, and Mining Directorates regulate Namibia’s mining and petroleum industries, and the Ministry concerns itself with the provision of national exploration and mining databases and competitive exploration and mining policy and regulations. The Ministry of Trade and Industry is responsible for regulating manufacturing activity, which includes mineral beneficiation, the production of cement, and the processing of semiprecious stones; the Ministry also promotes resource-based development. [7]

Epangelo Mining is a mining company owned by the government. It was founded in 2009 with the aim to govern the rights on six mineral resources that are deemed strategic for Namibia, and for which new exploration rights must be held by government. The six resources are: diamonds, gold, coal, uranium, copper, and rare earth minerals. [5]

The larger mining operations in Namibia tended to be funded and operated by domestic and international investors. Numerous local operations were involved in smaller-scale industrial mineral production, especially the semiprecious gemstone sector. [7]

Commodities

Cement

Cement had been imported since the closure of the Otjiwarongo factory of African Portland Cement several years ago. Holcim (Namibia) (Pty.) Ltd., which was owned by Holcim S.A. of Switzerland, 54%, and the Aveng Group of South Africa, 46% (and known as Alpha Cement prior to 2004), imported about 25,000 metric tons per month of cement to meet local demand. [7] In 2005, Cheetah Cement Factory, which was a joint venture of Whale Rock Cement of Namibia and CP Cimento e Participacoes S.A. of Brazil, proposed to import cement from Brazil until a 500,000-t/yr-capacity cement plant near Otjiwarongo was built. In late 2005, Cheetah Cement imported 36,000 metric tons of cement from Brazil. [7]

Ohorongo Cement near Otavi started production in 2010. Cheetah Cement also got a factory in 2018, so that there is now an oversupply of cement to the Namibian market. [10]

Copper

Haib copper prospect, Namibia. The adit is in the centre of the photo. Haib.jpg
Haib copper prospect, Namibia. The adit is in the centre of the photo.

In 2006, Weatherly International plc of the United Kingdom agreed to acquire 56% interest in financially distressed Ongopolo; Weatherly subsequently increased its equity interest in the company to 100%. Ongopolo operated the Kombat, the Matchless, and the Otjihase Mines. Ongopolo suspended operations at the Tsumeb copper smelter in mid-2006, relined the 30,000-metric-ton-per-year (t/yr)-capacity reverberatory furnace, and reopened the smelter in August. A second reverberatory furnace at Tsumeb remained inactive, pending renovation. [7]

Ongopolo evaluated the development of an underground mine at the Tschudi copper-silver prospect. Other copper exploration activity in Namibia included that of Copper Resources Corp. of South Africa on the Haib project, Helio Resource Corp. of Canada on the Honib prospect, Teck Cominco Ltd. of Canada on the Kaoko project, and Yale Resources Ltd. of Canada on the Leicester prospect. [7]

Companies that explored for gold in 2006 included Forsys Metals Corp. of Canada on the Ondundu prospect, Teal Exploration & Mining Inc. of Canada on the Otjikoto prospect, and Teck Cominco on the Vredelus prospect. Yale Resources worked on the Makuru (also known as the Otjimakuru) project. [7] As of 2010, the only operational gold mine in Namibia is the Navachab Gold Mine. [11] Now new company called Auryx Gold Namibia was formed and exploring the Otjikoto Gold deposit

Diamond

Diamond restricted area Sperrgebiet sign 2018.jpg
Diamond restricted area

Diamond remained the most economically significant mineral commodity produced by the mining industry of Namibia. The country produced about 2% of the world’s gem-quality diamonds, which placed it as the eighth-ranked producer of gem diamond in terms of value. [7] [ when? ] Diamonds contributed N$2,5 billion (US$235 million) in revenue to the government in 2013. [12]

In 2020, the Bank of Namibia forecasted a record decline of 24.6% in real terms due to a lower demand caused by COVID-19 outbreak. [13] The president of the Chamber of Mines of Namibia Zebra Kasete said the decline in demand dampened the flow in the diamond pipeline. [14]

Namdeb Diamond Corp. (Pty.) Ltd., which was a joint venture between De Beers Centenary AG and the Namibian Government, with each having 50%, was the country’s leading diamond producer. During 2006, Namdeb, its contractors, and its subsidiaries produced more than 2,000,000 carats (400 kg). The partners also negotiated the Namdeb Sales Agreement in 2006, which created the Namibia Diamond Trading Co., to sort and value the volume of Namdeb’s production that would be marketed to the domestic diamond-cutting industry. [7]

Granite

Granite is mined in Walvis Bay.

Iron

Lodestone’s Dordabis iron ore mine is a small mine that produced 4,000 tons of low-grade iron ore when it started in 2015. It is Namibia’s only iron mine and also produces magnetite and hematite products. Ohorongo uses the magnetite of this mine for cement manufacturing. [15] Lodestone mine yielded 91,000 tons of iron ore between 2015 and 2022. [16]

Lead and zinc

Contributing to the decline in Namibian zinc output in 2006 was the nearly 3-week fire-related suspension of zinc metal production operations at the Skorpion zinc facility and a strike at the Rosh Pinah Mine for higher wages, which lasted for about 2 weeks and adversely affected lead and zinc concentrate production. Kumba Resources Ltd. of South Africa proposed to reduce its 89.5% equity interest in Rosh Pinah to about 50%. A local investor group, which included PE Minerals (Namibia) (Pty.) Ltd., was expected to acquire Kumba’s divested interest. [7]

Lithium

Lithium deposits have long been known to exist in Namibian mines but were rarely exploited. Lithium was extracted from lepidolite between 1939 and 1950, and from petalite between 1947 and 1998. Since 1990, the only traceable lithium production was a 500 tons export in 2018. [17] In light of increased global demand in the 2020s, Lithium mining is expected to restart in Namibia. An initial production of Lithium concentrate at Uis mine occurred in 2023. [18]

Marble

Marble is mined near Karibib. [19]

Petroleum

Offshore petroleum activity included exploration on Block 1711 by the joint venture of Z.A.O. Sintezneftegas of Russia (70%), Petroleum, Oil & Gas Corp. of South Africa (PetroSA) (10%), EnerGulf Resources Inc. of the United States (10%), and the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR) (7%). Onshore exploration included that of the joint venture of Circle Oil Namibia Ltd. (90%) and NAMCOR (10%). In 2006, Mitusi Atlantic Energy BV (15%) joined the joint venture of BHP of Australia (75%) and PetroSA (10%), which held Blocks 2813A, 2814B, and 2914. [7]

Phosphate

The Sandpiper phosphate mine is a planned activity on the seabed of the Atlantic off the shore of Walvis Bay. An exploration license has been granted in 2011 but an environmental clearance certificate for Sandpiper was revoked in 2017. [20]

Salt

Salt is produced at the Atlantic coast of Namibia through solar evaporation of sea water. There are two major producers. Walvis Bay Salt produces around 1 million tons per annum, both for the chemical industry and, under the "Cerebos" brand, for domestic use. Salt Company Swakopmund produces only table salt. The annual production is approximately 120,000, the salt is marketed as "Light Flow". [21]

Uranium

Aerial view of Husab Uranium Mine Husab Mine and Klan mountains, Namibia (2017).jpg
Aerial view of Husab Uranium Mine
Granite mining near Walvis Bay Granit Walvis Bay (2018).jpg
Granite mining near Walvis Bay

Namibia was the sixth ranked producer of uranium, producing about 8% of the world’s uranium in 2006. [7] Due to the opening of the Langer Heinrich Uranium (LHU) mine in 2007, the country in 2009 had raised its share to nearly 10%, [22] but when Uranium prices fell after the Fukushima incident production was reduced. In 2012, Namibia produced 7.1% of Uranium oxide, behind Kazakhstan, Canada, Australia, and Niger. [23]

Rössing Uranium Ltd. processed about 12 million metric tons of ore in 2006 and produced 3,617 t of U3O8. Production was exported to the Asia and the Pacific, the European, and the North American markets by Rio Tinto Uranium; Rössing shareholders had no offtake rights. [7]

Earlier this decade, Rössing had announced that the Rössing Mine would be closed in 2009. By 2005, the increase in the world market price of uranium allowed Rössing to plan to extend operations to 2016. In 2006, positive exploration results and continued favorable uranium market conditions allowed Rössing to propose that the mine’s life could be extended to 2021. [7]

In late 2006, Paladin Resources Ltd. commissioned the Langer Heinrich uranium (LHU) mine and oxide (U3O8, or yellowcake) plant. [7] LHU produced 1 170 tonnes of processed uranium called yellow cake in 2009. [22] This mine is under care and maintenance since 2018, awaiting higher uranium prices. [24]

Exploration activity and evaluation of uranium mineralization in Namibia in 2006 included that of Bannerman Resources Ltd. of Australia on the Goanikontes and Swakop River prospects, Extract Resources Ltd. of Australia on the Husab Uranium Project, Forsys Metals on the Valencia project, Metals Australia Ltd. of Australia (formerly Australian United Gold Ltd.) on the Engo Valley and Mile 72 projects, Rössing Uranium on the SH and SK anomalies on Rössing’s mining lease near Arandis, UranMin Inc. on the Trekkopje deposit, and Western Australian Metals Ltd. of Australia on the Marinica project. In early 2006, Xemplar Energy Corp. of Canada acquired Namura Minerals Resources (Pty.) Ltd., which held the Aus, the Cape Cross, and the Warmbad uranium projects. Namura subsequently acquired a reconnaissance license in the Engo Valley area. [7]

Mining towns

Uranium mining town Arandis Arandis (2018).jpg
Uranium mining town Arandis
Marble mining in Karibib Marmor Karibib.jpg
Marble mining in Karibib
Aerial view of Rosh Pinah Zinc mine and town Zink Mine Rosh Pinah.jpg
Aerial view of Rosh Pinah Zinc mine and town

Several towns and settlements in Namibia were established solely for mining. Some of them are today ghost towns, and some are in danger of becoming one due to a lack of diversification of economic activities. The major mining towns in Namibia are:

Notable mines

Skorpion Zinc mine Skorpion Zink Mine.jpg
Skorpion Zinc mine

Related to the mining industry, the main legislation is the Minerals (Prospecting and Mining) Act 33 of 1992 (Minerals Act). In the terms of this act, owners of the land don't have mining rights because natural resources belong to the state. For getting the right prospect or mine an area, a mining license or a mining claim is required, provided by the Minister of Mines and Energy of Namibia. [32]

Namibia’s mining industry is regulated by the Diamond Act, 1999; the Minerals (Prospecting and Mining) Act, 1992; and the Minerals Development Fund of Namibia Act of 1996. The petroleum sector is governed by the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act, 1991; the Petroleum (Taxation) Act, 1991; the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Amendment Act, 1993; the Petroleum Laws Amendment Act, 1998; the Model Petroleum Agreement, 1998; and the Petroleum Products and Energy Amendment Act, 2000. [7]

In 2006, the Government confirmed a royalty schedule that originally had been introduced in 2004. A 3% royalty was levied on the market value of base, precious, and rare metals and nonnuclear mineral fuels. A 2% royalty was levied on industrial minerals and nuclear mineral fuels. [7]

In Namibia, mining legislation is under revision. According to the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals, and Sustainable Development (IGF), Namibia counts with a strong regulation around the development of environmental impact assessments and environmental management plans through the Environmental Management Act. However, legislation on occupational health and safety, and water and waste management is outdated. [33]

Environmental Management Act 7 of 2007 promotes the sustainable management of the environment and the use of natural resources. This act gives the Minister of Environment and Tourism the authority to regulate activities that could damage the environment. Activities of mining and exploration require a certificate of an environmental commissioner. [32]

Labour legislation for mining consists of Labour Act 11 of 2007 and Labour Act of 1992. The Labour Act, 2007 requires a safe working environment, and without risk to the health of employees; safe plants, machinery, and systems of work; and safe use, handling, storage, and transportation of articles or substances. Labour Act, 1992 relates to the health and safety of workspace. It sets requirements for medical surveillance, first-aid and emergency arrangements, and safety of machinery, welfare, and facilities in the workplace. [32]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oranjemund</span> Town in ǁKaras Region, Namibia

Oranjemund is a diamond mining town of 4,000 inhabitants situated in the ǁKaras Region of the extreme southwest of Namibia, on the northern bank of the Orange River mouth at the border to South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tsumeb</span> City in Oshikoto Region, Namibia

Tsumeb is a city of 15,000 inhabitants and the largest town in the Oshikoto region in northern Namibia. Tsumeb is known as the "gateway to the north" of Namibia. It is the closest town to the Etosha National Park. Tsumeb used to be the regional capital of Oshikoto until 2008 when Omuthiya was proclaimed a town and the new capital. The area around Tsumeb forms its own electoral constituency and has a population of 44,113. The town is the site of a deep mine that in its heyday was known as "TCL", but has since been renamed the Ongopolo Mine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mining in Australia</span> Overview of mining in Australia

Mining in Australia has long been a significant primary sector industry and contributor to the Australian economy by providing export income, royalty payments and employment. Historically, mining booms have also encouraged population growth via immigration to Australia, particularly the gold rushes of the 1850s. Many different ores, gems and minerals have been mined in the past and a wide variety are still mined throughout the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mining industry of Romania</span>

Romania ranks tenth in the world in terms of the diversity of minerals produced in the country. Around 60 different minerals are currently produced in Romania. The richest mineral deposits in the country are halite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mining industry of Ghana</span>

The Mining industry of Ghana accounts for 5% of the country's GDP and minerals make up 37% of total exports. Gold contributes over 90% of the total mineral exports. Thus, the main focus of Ghana's mining and minerals development industry remains focused on gold. Ghana is Africa's largest gold producer, producing 80.5 t in 2008. Ghana is also a major producer of bauxite, manganese and diamonds. Ghana has 20 large-scale mining companies producing gold, diamonds, bauxite and manganese; over 300 registered small scale mining groups; and 90 mine support service companies.Other mineral commodities produced in the country are natural gas, petroleum, salt, and silver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosh Pinah</span> Settlement in ǁKaras Region, Namibia

Rosh Pinah is a mining town located in southern Namibia, close to the border with South Africa. It is situated 360 kilometres (220 mi) south of Keetmanshoop in Namibia's ǁKaras Region. West of the town lies Diamond Area 1, the main diamond mining area of Namibia. Rosh Pinah belongs to the Oranjemund electoral constituency. The town is connected via road to Aus and Oranjemund.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mining industry of Nigeria</span>

The mining of minerals in Nigeria accounts for only 0.3% of its gross domestic product, due to the influence of its vast oil resources. The domestic mining industry is underdeveloped, leading to Nigeria having to import minerals that it could produce domestically, such as salt or iron ore. The rights to ownership of mineral resources is held by the Federal Government of Nigeria, which grants titles to organizations to explore, mine, and sell mineral resources. Organized mining began in 1903, when the Mineral Survey of the Northern Protectorates was created by the British colonial government. A year later, the Mineral Survey of the Southern Protectorates was founded. By the 1940s, Nigeria was a major producer of tin, columbite, and coal. The discovery of oil in 1956 hurt the mineral extraction industries, as government and industry both began to focus on this new resource. The Nigerian Civil War in the late 1960s led many expatriate mining experts to leave the country. Mining regulation is handled by the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, who are tasked with the responsibility of overseeing the management of all mineral resources in Nigeria. Mining law is codified in the Federal Minerals and Mining Act of 1999. Historically, Nigeria's mining industry was monopolized by state-owned public corporations. This led to a decline in productivity in almost all mineral industries. The Obasanjo administration began a process of selling off government-owned corporations to private investors in 1999. The Nigerian Mining Industry has picked up since the "Economic Diversification Agenda", from Oil & Gas, to Agriculture, Mining, etc., began in the country.

The mineral industry of Kazakhstan is one of the most competitive and fastest growing sectors of the country. Kazakhstan ranks second to Russia among the countries of the CIS in its quantity of mineral production. It is endowed with large reserves of a wide range of metallic ores, industrial minerals, and fuels, and its metallurgical sector is a major producer of a large number of metals from domestic and imported raw materials. In 2005, its metal mining sector produced bauxite, chromite, copper, iron, lead, manganese, and zinc ores, and its metallurgical sector produced such metals as beryllium, bismuth, cadmium, copper, ferroalloys, lead, magnesium, rhenium, steel, titanium, and zinc. The country produced significant amounts of other nonferrous and industrial mineral products, such as alumina, arsenic, barite, gold, molybdenum, phosphate rock, and tungsten. The country was a large producer of mineral fuels, including coal, natural gas, oil, and uranium. The country's economy is heavily dependent on the production of minerals. Output from Kazakhstan's mineral and natural resources sector for 2004 accounted for 74.1% of the value of industrial production, of which 43.1% came from the oil and gas condensate extraction. In 2004, the mineral extraction sector accounted for 32% of the GDP, employed 191,000 employees, and accounted for 33.1% of capital investment and 64.5% of direct foreign investment, of which 63.5% was in the oil sector. Kazakhstan's mining industry is estimated at US$29.5 billion by 2017.

The second-largest mineral industry in the world is the mineral industry of Africa, which implies large quantities of resources due to Africa being the second largest continent, with 30.37 million square kilometres of land.With a population of 1.4 billion living there, mineral exploration and production constitute significant parts of their economies for many African countries and remain keys to economic growth. Africa is richly endowed with mineral reserves and ranks first in quantity of world reserves for bauxite, cobalt, industrial diamond, phosphate rock, platinum-group metals (PGM), vermiculite, and zirconium.

In 2006, Cambodia's mineral resources remained, to a large extent, unexplored. Between 2003 and 2006, however, foreign investors from Australia, China, South Korea, Thailand, and the United States began to express their interest in Cambodia's potential for offshore oil and gas as well as such land-based metallic minerals as bauxite, copper, gold, and iron ore, and such industrial minerals as gemstones and limestone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mining industry of the Central African Republic</span>

The Central African Republic's mineral resource endowment includes copper, diamond, gold, graphite, ilmenite, iron ore, kaolin, kyanite, lignite, limestone, manganese, monazite, quartz, rutile, salt, tin, and uranium. Of these commodities, only diamond and gold were produced in 2006 - subsistence farming was the mainstay of the economy.

Africa has a large quantity of natural resources, including diamonds, sugar, salt, gold, iron, cobalt, uranium, copper, bauxite, silver, petroleum, and cocoa beans, but also tropical timber and tropical fruit.

Mauritania's mineral sector was dominated by iron ore mining and beneficiation. Other mineral commodities produced in the country included cement, copper, gold, gypsum, petroleum, salt, and steel. The Ministère des Mines et de l’Industrie was the Government agency responsible for enacting the Mining Code and for the coordination of all activities in the mining sector. The Direction des Mines et de la Géologie was the entity responsible for promoting the mineral sector and for providing geologic and mining information to potential investors; the Direction des Hydrocarbures was in charge of the development of the petroleum sector; and the Office Mauritanien des Recherches Géologiques was the Government entity responsible for evaluating areas of mineral potential for exploration. Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière (SNIM) was responsible for iron ore production and benefciation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mining industry of Uganda</span>

The mining industry of Uganda, documented as early as the 1920s, witnessed a boom in the 1950s with a record 30 percent of the country's exports. It received a further boost when mining revenues increased by 48 percent between 1995 and 1997. However, the World Bank reported that the sector's contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) dropped from 6 percent during the 1970s to below 0.5 percent in 2010. Uganda's extractive industry activities have been identified by the Natural Resource Governance Institute as focused on "extraction of cobalt, gold, copper, iron ore, tungsten, steel, tin and other industrial products such as cement, diamonds, salt and vermiculite". Limestone is sold in local markets whereas gold, tin, and tungsten are major exports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mining industry of Liberia</span>

The mining industry of Liberia has witnessed a revival after the civil war which ended in 2003. Gold, diamonds, and iron ore form the core minerals of the mining sector with a new Mineral Development Policy and Mining Code being put in place to attract foreign investments. In 2013, the mineral sector accounted for 11% of GDP in the country and the World Bank projected a further increase in the sector by 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mining industry of Malawi</span>

The mining industry of Malawi, includes a number of gemstones and other minerals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mining industry of South Sudan</span>

South Sudan is one of the African countries known as an important oil producer, whereas, South Sudan also has mineral resources like copper, gold, diamonds, limestone among others. Government is promoting investment particularly in exploration and also developing the mining projects in South Sudan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owambo Basin</span>

The Owambo Basin is a sedimentary basin located on the Congo Craton in Southern Africa that extends from southern Angola into Namibia and includes the Etosha Pan. It is bound on the southern and western sides by the Damara Belt in Northern Namibia, and by the Cubango River to the East. The northern boundary is scientifically disputed, but is currently mapped by most stratigraphers to include southern Angola with the boundary set at the Kunene River. The Owambo Basin is host to two famous regions: Tsumeb, a major Namibian city and site of a formerly active copper mine with exceptional mineralogical variability producing museum quality rare specimens, and Etosha National Park, the largest protected wildlife sanctuary in Namibia centered around Etosha Pan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geology of Namibia</span>

The geology of Namibia encompasses rocks of Paleoproterozoic, Mesoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic and Paleozoic to Cenozoic age. About 46% of the countryʼs surface are bedrock exposure, while the remainder is covered by the young overburden sediments of the Kalahari and Namib deserts.

The National Earth Science Museum in Windhoek is Namibia's central geological museum. It is maintained by the State Geological Survey of Namibia under the Ministry of Mines and Energy.

References

  1. ↑ "Mining in Namibia.doc" (PDF). NIED. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-10. Retrieved 2010-06-26.
  2. ↑ "Background Note:Namibia". US Department of State. 26 October 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 KPMG (2014). Namibia. Country Mining Guide . KPMG INTERNATIONAL. p.3
  4. 1 2 Duddy, Jo-Maré (27 November 2012). "Mining remains gem of economy". The Namibian . Archived from the original on 11 January 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 Kufa, Leon (April 2016). "Boom and Slump. The Mining Industry Has Seen it All". Mining Journal. Supplement to The Namibian. pp. 9–11.
  6. ↑ Mitchell, Jason (13 June 2019). "Namibian mining industry opposes tax reforms". www.fdiintelligence.com. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Philip M. Mobbs. "The Mineral Industry of Namibia". 2006 Minerals Yearbook . U.S. Geological Survey (April 2008). This article incorporates text from this U.S. government source, which is in the public domain.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Stevens, Laurence M. (2020-08-18). "Low demand for diamonds persists". African Mining Market. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  9. ↑ Mtegha, H. D.; Cawood, F. T.; Minnitt, R. C. A. (October 2010). "A comparison of the processes used during the development of the national mineral policies of Tanzania and Namibia". Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. 110 (10): 611–620.
  10. ↑ "Schwenk Zement to exit Namibia". International Cement Review. 15 March 2019.
  11. ↑ Country report: Namibia Archived 2011-07-07 at the Wayback Machine AngloGold Ashanti website, accessed: 8 August 2010
  12. ↑ "Diamonds earned N$2,5 billion in 2013". The Namibian. 28 Mar 2014. Retrieved 2014-04-02.
  13. ↑ Nyaungwa, Mathew (25 August 2020). "Namibia diamond mining to recover in 2021 – central bank". www.rough-polished.com. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  14. ↑ "Low demand for diamonds persists". African Mining Market. 2020-08-18. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  15. ↑ Ian (2016-07-26). "Iron ore mine to produce up to 2035". Namibian Mining News. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  16. ↑ Steenkamp, Floris (July 2022). "Namibia Eyes Own Steel Production Industry". Mining Journal supplement to The Namibian . p. 4.
  17. ↑ Simonis Storm Securities (August 2023). "A Closer Look at the Lithium Industry in Namibia". Spotlight on Mining. Supplement to The Namibian. pp. 33–36.
  18. ↑ "Andrada Poised to Help Develop an Integrated Lithium Industry in Namibia". Spotlight on Mining. Supplement to The Namibian. August 2023. pp. 39–40.
  19. ↑ Karibib Marble
  20. ↑ Menges, Werner; Hartman, Adam (1 July 2021). "Namibia: Legal Setback for Seabed Mining Plan". The Namibian .
  21. ↑ Steenkamp, Floris (July 2022). "Namibia among Major Salt Producers". Mining Journal supplement to The Namibian . p. 13.
  22. 1 2 Weidlich, Brigitte (7 January 2011). "Uranium: Saving or sinking Namibia?". The Namibian . Archived from the original on 13 January 2011.
  23. ↑ Kaira, Chamwe (11 June 2013). "Rössing steers another storm". The Namibian . pp. 10–11. Some of the factual statements are only available in the offline version of this article.
  24. ↑ Ndjavera, Maihapa (10 June 2021). "Langer Heinrich Uranium still awaits recovery of uranium prices". New Era .
  25. ↑ Hartman, Adam (8 November 2011). "Investment confrence [sic] promotes Arandis". The Namibian . p. 1. Archived from the original on 6 June 2012.
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 Hartman, Adam (May 2019). "Evolution of Namibia's mining towns". Mining Journal supplement to The Namibian . pp. 26–33.
  27. ↑ Cloete, Luqman (3 August 2011). "Oranjemund proclaimed as town after long battle". The Namibian . p. 1.
  28. ↑ Weidlich, Brigitte (20 October 2017). "Oranjemund opens its doors to the world". Gondwana Collection Namibia.
  29. ↑ "Rosh Pinah mine". Trevali Mining Corporation . Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  30. ↑ "Glencore buys 80% of Rosh Pinah". The Namibian . Mining Weekly. 16 December 2011.
  31. ↑ "Tsumeb Mine (Tsumcorp Mine), Tsumeb, Oshikoto Region, Namibia". www.mindat.com. 5 June 2019.
  32. 1 2 3 Stritter, Axel. "Mining 2020 - Namibia | Global Practice Guides | Chambers and Partners". practiceguides.chambers.com. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  33. ↑ Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals, and Sustainable Development (2018). IGF MINING POLICY FRAMEWORK ASSESSMENT. Namibia . International Institute for Sustainable Development.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Mining in Namibia at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.