By Nicholas Osei Wusu
Prospecting activities toward confirmation of commercial deposit of bauxite in the Nyinahin-Mpasaaso range in the Ashanti region has officially begun.
Rock shore Mining International and its partner company, Sahara Mining Consultants have moved to the site and started drilling the hills for ore of the mineral resource for laboratory analysis.
The Supervising Geologist of Sahara Mining Consultants that is in charge of the testing of the samples, Mr. Felix Aziz Thompson told GBC News that from his initial technical assessment, the range is endowed with commercial quantities of bauxite deposits and is thus upbeat about the fortunes for Ghana. This was after the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation and some officials paid a working tour of the site.
Nyinahin-Mpasaaso range that spans the Aatwima Mponua and Ahafo Ano South administrative districts in the Ashanti region has for years been associated with bauxite deposits with succeeding governments paying lip service to explore and mine to boost the national economy.
Last a wholly Ghanaian mining firm, Rock shore Mining International Company, was licensed to undertake the first and perhaps most important activity within the range, that is to prospect to confirm or otherwise of the perceived bauxite deposit within the area.
This activity would ultimately help the government to determine the commercial viability of the bauxite deposit, if the assumption is real.
Rock shore Mining International and its partner company, Sahara Mining, have subsequently moved to site to undertake Prospecting operations in Hills Four, Five and Six within the Nyinahin-Mpasaaso range using the Diamond Drilling method to bring out samples of the deposit for laboratory analysis and determination of the presence of the mineral resource in the area. The Project Geologist of Rock shore Mining International, Mr. Isaac Marbeng, explained to the media exactly what the ongoing drilling activities are all about.
After the drilling operations at the Hills, the samples of the soil are then transported to Mpasaaso the Sample Yard at Mpasaaso where a laboratory is being set up for the initial stage of splitting to take place by personnel of the Sahara Mining Consultants. These samples are then weighed and bagged to be transported to South Africa where there is currently available technology, to determine the availability and viability of bauxite.
The Supervising Geologist of Sahara Mining Consultants, Mr. Felix Aziz Thompson told GBC News that per his technical knowledge and experience, samples from the drilling within the Nyinahin-Mpasaaso range show that the enclave is endowed with appreciable and viable economic quantities of bauxite that should be of good news to the government and economy of Ghana.
The Prospecting is scheduled to last for about six months and if there is confirmation of deposit of the mineral resource in commercial quantity within the area, actual mining operations of bauxite in the range could begin 2023.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation, GIADEC, Mr. Michael Ansah, told the media that the development of the Nyinahin-Mpasaaso bauxite mine is part of the multi-year and integrated Aluminium industry agenda of the government that will maximize local capacities.
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