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Namibia: Erongo Region in Grip of "Uranium Fever", Two More Mines in Pipeline

Posted on: Tuesday, 7 March 2006, 06:01 CST

Text of report by Des Erasmus entitled "Erongo in grip of uranium fever" published by Namibian newspaper Republikein on 7 March

The Erongo region is in the grip of uranium fever. Another two possible uranium mines are in the pipeline after the arrival of a third large plant at Trekkopje and Klein Trekkopje was announced at the weekend.

Claims have already been made of support from government for the mining of uranium by Valencia Uranium, 35 kilometres from Rossing and 40 kilometres from the new Langer Heinrich. Prospecting work has also been completed, indicating uranium deposits well suited to extraction at the Kleine and Gross Spitzkoppe.

In addition to this there is an Australian company, Australian United Gold Limited that has obtained prospecting rights for uranium in the Engo Valley in the Kunene region and at Mile 72 in the Erongo region.

The rush is accelerating with current expenditure in uranium mining exceeding the 1 billion Namibian dollars mark already. The existing Rossing has extended its expected mining period with twelve years (an alleged 400m dollars). Mining development are progressing at Langer Heinrich in the Namib Naukluft Park (550m to 600m dollars) and the Trekkopje and Kleine Trekkopje Mine (500m dollars) is now being discussed with the relevant community and other stakeholders.

At Valencia, south of the Khan River, there is already a lot of activity.

Prospectors are staying in tents where they are looking for possible sites for extraction by open mining.

Valencia Uranium Project is a subsidiary of Forsys Metals Corp of Canada. According to an announcement in Toronto the third of three geotechnical holes are being drilled at present while samples from the first two holes are now being analysed. Valencia has instructed Snowden Mining Industry Consultants to exercise quality control, which will precede a feasibility study. Data obtained at present will be used to determine the precise location of the open quarry mine. A first finding by Snowden was that profitable uranium mining can take place there.

Ecoplan Namibia has already completed a preliminary environmental study, which will serve as appendix to a mining report. It must amongst others be determined if there will be obstacles in the way of mining, which should be a prerequisite for mining, and how the impact of the mine on the environment will be monitored.

According to Forsys Metals Corp there is at present nothing in the way of the establishment of a mine at Valencia.

The deposits at Valencia were already examined by Goldfields Namibia from 1973 to 1977, a period in which up to fifty prospecting holes were drilled. Viability studies followed in 1981 and again in 1989 by Goldfields, but low prices for uranium brought the project to an end.

The exploration of a uranium field at the Kleine and Gross Spitzkoppe is still at an early stage. It is situated in the Karibib District and conservatively estimated it can create between 80 and 100 employment opportunities. The area is suitable for open quarry mining.

Meanwhile two prospecting licenses for uranium in the Engo Valley of the Kunene region and at Mile 72 in the Erongo region for a period of three years have been awarded to Australian United Gold. The prospecting area has a size of 267 sq.km. (194.57 sq.km. in the Kunene, 72.72 sq.km. in the Erongo). Determination of sources will be done in a follow-up exploration by the Australians. Prospecting work has not been done in the area for the past 20 years and modern techniques will now be used. Rock types and other properties are similar to those of Langer Heinrich.

Australian United Gold has obtained full control over the two prospecting licenses from a Namibian company, Reliance Investment Agencies.

Source: BBC Monitoring Africa

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