The Ministry of Mines today issued gold, iron and potash mining production licenses to three companies that will engage in various mining productions with an investment cost of two billion dollars.
The mining production licenses were granted to Ethiopian Investment Holdings for potash production, ZYT BDIM for iron production, and Bero Mining for gold production, according to the information from Ministry of Mines of Ethiopia.
Minister of Mines, Engineer Habtamu Tegegn, stated during the program that the licenses were granted for Ethiopia’s strategic resources, which will enable the production of iron ore within Ethiopia. The projects will be carried out in different phases, and a total of 2 billion dollars will be invested in the three mining products. The licensed companies are engaged in potash, iron, and gold products.
CEO of Ethiopian Investment Holdings, Dr. Brook Taye, on his part, stated that Ethiopia’s potash resource located in the Afar Region is among the highest in the world.
Ethiopia’s Proven & Probable Potash Reserves (Source Ethiopia Geological Survey)
He also pointed out that besides being an industrial input, the potash resource is of great importance for fertilizer production. It was also noted that the government is focusing on large scale minerals that serve as industrial inputs.
Studies show that Ethiopia possesses substantial, largely untapped iron ore reserves estimated to exceed 1.1 billion tons, with notable deposits located in the Amhara, Oromia, and Tigray regions. Key deposits include Mekaneselam (Wollo), Bikilal (Wollega), and Melka Arba.
Information from the Ethiopian Geological Survey shows that Potash was known to be mined in Ethiopia as early as the 14th century, from one of the world’s largest deposits, located in Dallol. In Dallol, there are extraordinary deposits of evaporite, particularly in the Danakil Depression. Prospectors have been aware of the Danakil Depression’s potential since the early 1900s, and efforts to launch small-scale production were made prior to World.
Gold hosting geological belts and domains
Southern greenstone belt:
The Southern greenstone belt includes the separate AdolaKenticha, Ageremariam, Arero and Moyale areas, which are associated with gold mineralization. Adola-Kenticha belt: Predominantly known as the Adola belt, the Adola-Kenticha belt comprises the primary gold deposits and occurrences of Lega-Dembi, Sakaro, Okote, Wollena, Kumudu, Megado-Serdo, Dawa-Digati, Bore, Abab River, Haranfama (northern Kenticha) and many others.
The Adola belt is a major Neoproterozoic shear belt within the Pan-African orogeny, which hosts major primary gold deposits confined in metavolcano-sedimentary assemblage.
Hageremariam and Arero greenstone region:
This region hosts pyrite-bearing gold in meta-basic and metaultrabasic rocks as well as gold-bearing quartz veins in intermediate to acid alkaline intrusive rocks.
Moyale greenstone region:
This region consists of the Haramsam, Hassamte and Chamuk gold prospect areas underlain by meta-granodiorite, amphibolites, gabbroamphibolite, and gabbro and amphibolite schist, which hosts auriferous quartz veins.
Western greenstone belt
The western greenstone belt stretches more than 600 kilometers from Akobo-SW Ethiopia, and its average width varies from 50 to 200 kilometers. This belt comprises chlorite, sericite and graphitic schist, phyllites, quartzites, and andesitic to rhyolitic volcanics, hosting auriferous veins and alteration zones.
The belt comprises major regions of Gambela, Western Wollega, and Benishangul Gumuz, which include gold prospects at Chamo, Akobo, Guraferda, Gezana, Tumet, Godare, Baro, Ankori, Tulu Kapi, Tulu Kami, Dimma, Baruda, Oda Godare, Mengie, Ashashire, Dul, Gambella mountain, Indaka, Bekoji Motisha, Suken, Egambo, Kilaji, Wombera, Metekel (Jilaye), Guba and other sites.
The Gold Triangle of Ethiopia
