Mines Group

Meeting Mines Group October, 2023

-Return from the SIM congress in Bordeaux (October 3-6): The mineral industry faces the challenges of energy transition, reducing environmental footprint while ensuring an ever-increasing and diversified supply of minerals.

-Guinea Conakry AGTS/Apave (geotechnics, laboratory, monitoring) mining and civil engineering sector https://www.apave.com/fr

Senegal GCO Project (Grande Côte Opérations Eramet);

Gold mining and poverty in Kédougou: The company Endeavor Mining/Teranga Gold at the top of the industry, “insensitive” to the ills of the natives. Testimony of traditional gold miners Mining Wealth and Persistent Poverty – YouTube Richesse Minière et Pauvreté Persistante - YouTube

-Ghana gold mine

https://www.veolia.com/africa

Gold mining operations generate effluent containing a range of nitrogenous compounds such as cyanide, cyanate, ammonia and nitrate. Excess water that needs to be discharged often requires treatment to comply with local legislations. The tests in Ghana have demonstrated that the Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor technology can offer a flexible and reliable solution to remove nitrogenous compounds under a wide range of operating conditions.

See A Cerino interview :  AngloGold Ashanti| Veolia

And introduction of Veolia in mining Africa :   Mines | Veolia Africa

-Congo Kore Potash à Pointe Noire  youtube Kola project en phase d’implementation 

Kola Project and Dougou DX project potash mines in Pointe NOIRE

-Update on critical materials for the French economy with a look at critical materials in significant reserves in Algeria (Lithium, Cobalt, Titanium, Vanadium, Niobium, Tantalum…see below

https://youtu.be/ySCXcy56wrw  Conference of Ali Kefaili)

June 2023 Groupe Mines Meeting # 2 Mines Group N2

1/ the interests and experiences of participants

Jean Michel Negroni Secretary General of the Mineral Industry Company https://lasim.org/ for more than 170 years, development and maintenance of mining training (and ore processing) to, among other things, ensure and strengthen France's presence in Africa, Gather all operators in the mineral industry/training center/Mining administration, Intervention on critical metals, 300 active volunteers, 11 think tanks (including training group), technical days, annual congress

FIMATEC Ing@Industrie des mineraux FR

2/ Gabon E3MG https://www.acp-france.org/2021/05/30/ecole-des-mines-de-moanda/

Bernard Gros Pro Educ Consultants, technical assistance for the Moanda Eramet/Comilog project

3/ Senegal by Issa Ndoye Higher School of Mines, Geology and Environment of the UAM in Diamniadio. Mining hub in the making (transport infrastructure, storage, transformation, geographic concentration).

Industrial Minerals (ICS phosphates, Cayor engineering phosphate project underway by TechnipEnergies), Heavy Minerals:

Grande Côte Operations (GCO) mineralized sand mine (ilmenite, zircon, rutile and leucoxene) Eramet. Construction materials cement plant Sococim,

4/ Algeria by Tayeb (see video Ali Kifaifi mining expert https://youtu.be/ySCXcy56wrw )

Amar Laskri National Higher School of Mines and Metallurgy

Annaba Annaba Institute of Mines and Metallurgy created in the 1980s, linked to the University of Annaba, LMD license master doctorate training system.

5/ Ghana (Jean Pierre Mariaccia Convergence)

In order to study the feasibility and prepare the ground of the 3 projects mentioned above (TVET training program, Capacity Building for ASM and solarization of ASM),

6/ Congo by JLG

Kola Potash see https://youtu.be/meC_j3Cwzrs   and  https://youtu.be/MR32B3UZV5A  

Mines de potasse Kola Project & Dougou DX project Pointe NOIRE
It is in this context that the need was identified for “a study on the skills needs for a project to create a Training Center in the oil, gas and mining sector”, the subject of our proposal.
Methodologically, the approach initially involves defining and quantifying, as precisely and reliably as possible, current and future needs.
The data already available will be supplemented by a targeted survey (sending an explanatory letter and a form to complete). This letter will be addressed to the HR managers of the main companies in the “Oil, Gas and Mining Industry” sector. This, in order to have the latest estimates of the needs for qualified human resources, for each of them.

Secondly, all the validated data will allow the creation of a “construction and equipment guide” for the training center dedicated to professions in the Oil, Gas and Mining industries. Grouping the scope of the training center to these industries with the same needs will allow the sustainability of the training center and a closer financial balance.

The design of the training center will be all the more adapted to the objectives of the project, as young graduates from Short Professional Higher education establishments (DUT, BTS, professional license) and Government directives have been taken into account.
Proposal for the feasibility study of the Oil & Gas and Mines Training Center in Pointe Noire Congo.

We are in close contact with UMAT, a Ghanaian university integrating both a faculty of hydrocarbons and a faculty of Mines. Recently we conducted the feasibility and scoping study of the Saint Louis Training Center (Senegal) extract scoping study Training St Louis 

extrait étude cadrage Formation St Louis   responding in the short term to the needs linked to new offshore gas projects and in the long term to the future needs of the developing mining industry. It seems to us that the Congolese problem presents some similarities and we have prepared a technical proposal for a feasibility and scoping study (over 3 months) in this sense. 

   Technical note framing oil and mining training center University of Congo

April 2023 Groupe Mines Meeting # 1 : Groupe Mines N1

1/ the interests and experiences of participants:

-Eosys (set-up and development of a junior mining exploration company in Mexico, mining prospecting in Africa, setting up mining financing, post-mining and post-nuclear geoscience services in France, sensitivity to ESG (Environment/Governance) issues),

-JJ Jung (5 years mining experience: Madagascar Ni Co mines and transformation, BHP Billington & Setrag Comilog, project start-up specialist,
-Louis Roger Tchinianga (Rhesus) based in Pointe Noire (ACP Africa group launched in 2013, see www.acp-france.org ),

-Eric Maranne (Crisis, virtual reality for Crisis management training),

-Jack Marmet (Mining specialist, technical assistance, operating training, choice of machines, etc.)
-Caio de Vicenzo (Experconnect, federation of thousands of mostly retired consultants still in consulting activity, more than a hundred in the mining sector, exploitation, training, technical assistance),

-François Giger (Arcles, coal and Ur mining experience)

2/ PEC Eramet https://www.acp-france.org/2021/05/30/ecole-des-mines-de-moanda/

Pro Educ Consultants with Bernard Gros and Remy Geoffray, technical assistance for the Moanda Eramet/Comilog project)

3/ The School of Mines of Alès IMT https://www.imt-mines-ales.fr/ , François Manné responsible for Master Mines training at IMT, around twenty students per year mainly from Africa ( in particular Morocco and Senegal), will try to put us in contact with young Senegalese in training or former students.

4/ by Issa Ndoye contact with The Higher School of Mines, Geology and Environment (ESMGE) is one of the five pioneering schools currently open at the Amadou Mahtar Mbow University of Dakar (UAM), which aims to position itself as a national and sub-regional leader in the fields of geology, mining and the environment.

5/ Ghana University of Petroleum and Mining https://www.umat.edu.gh/ contact to JP Mariaccia et JLG

6/ 0pportunities Congo see https://youtu.be/meC_j3Cwzrs   and https://youtu.be/MR32B3UZV5A  

Kola Project and Dougou DX project potash mines in Pointe NOIRE

The feasibility study with Front End Engineering Design (“FEED”) and proposal for Engineering Procurement and Construction (“EPC”) was carried out in the late 2010s by a consortium composed of Technip FMC, Vinci Construction Grands Projets, Egis International and Louis Dreyfus Armateurs

The Dougou Extension solution mining method uses one well per cavern, drilled to a vertical depth of approximately 460m.
Under these conditions, it is urgent to carry out a mini feasibility/scoping study project (for which we could request funding from Kore Potash for example) including the analysis of costs and their financing as well as the specification of training and equipment. with the aim of launching construction and supplies in September 2023. The DX Dougou project will strengthen and complete (injection well drilling) the jobs to be created locally.

 7/ Opportunities Ghana (Convergence)

The proposed project aims to investigate the opportunities in three areas: TVET training programs for all TVET institutions in Ghana, increasing capacity building for artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in Ghana, and the solarization of ASM mines in Ghana.

TVET Training Program: The project seeks to identify the opportunities for the development and implementation of a comprehensive TVET training program that can cater to the needs of all TVET institutions in Ghana. This will involve an assessment of the current TVET system (see  https://ctvet.gov.gh/list-of-free-tvet-schools/ ), identifying gaps and challenges, and exploring best practices from other countries to develop a sustainable and effective training program.

Increasing Capacity Building for ASM: The project aims to investigate opportunities to enhance the capacity of ASM operators, especially in the areas of health and safety, environmental protection, and mining techniques. This will involve the development of training materials and the provision of training programs for ASM operators, with a focus on enhancing their skills and knowledge in sustainable mining practices.

Solarization of ASM Mines: The project seeks to identify opportunities for the use of solar energy in ASM mines to reduce the sector's carbon footprint and improve energy efficiency. This will involve an assessment of the potential for solar energy in ASM mining operations, identifying the challenges and opportunities, and developing a roadmap for the adoption of solar energy in ASM mines.

JLG 18/4/2023

Webinaire - April 27, 2022_ V3 :

The development of the mining sector in Africa: What Euro-African cooperation?

Very comprehensive presentation by Patrick Portolano of the geopolitical, economic, industrial and ecological issues linked to the mining sector in Europe and the Challenges, findings, possible strategies for Europe to create with Africans the conditions for fruitful cooperation in the Mining sector with the Census of international good practices for developing the mining sector in Africa.

Kick off Africa Group  to the Mines in Pointe Noire

 Africa Group launch towards Mines in Pointe Noire with the participation of around twenty people (current or potential consultants, oil companies, local service companies). Our first members, Emile Ngouolali, Dominique Ngonga (┼) and Louis Roger Tchinianga (founder/manager of the company Rhesus   rhsusd@yahoo.com ) suivent le développement de notre nouveau groupe.

Emile Ngouolali, Bachelor's degree in Commercial and Financial Sciences Brussels & Master's degree in Business Administration and Management. After 32 years of career at Total E & P Congo (Management Etablissement Brazza, Human Resources: training, careers, recruitment), created his consulting activity by joining GEEPS Consulting in July 2012 (HR, Sustainable Development, Management studies ), which he wishes to develop with Companies, including in recruitment, training and HR development.

(contact : emile.ngouolali@yahoo.fr mob + 242 05 520 53 36)

–Exchanges and action plans Kore Potash Congo 2022: Kore Potash Congo 2022:

the participants decided to expand their business to the mining sector. Prepare for future developments at the identified mines by proposing a “training center” dedicated to the training of future miners. LR Tchinianga has already initiated steps with these companies and has been responsible for exploring and studying in collaboration with certain ACP members the different possibilities of interest mining companies for this future project.