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Under the High Patronage of His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, President, Islamic Republic of Mauritania

“Mauritania: The desert’s undiscovered treasure”

The second Mauritanian Mining & Oil and Gas Conference & Exhibition (MAURITANIDES 2012) will take place in Nouakchott, Mauritania from 8 – 11 November 2012. The event will be organised by the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mines, Mauritania in association with the British event organiser AME Trade Limited.

• The event will feature three days of plenary sessions, technical workshops, exhibitions, as well as visits to Mauritanian mining sites. It will gather international investors, mining and petroleum experts, managers of financial institutions, Mauritanian decision makers, development partners and donors, as well as other key actors and partners in the mining industry.
• MAURITANIDES 2012 will act as a platform to exchange experiences, debate and establish business partnerships and cooperation, which will lead to conclusions and recommendations for an improved development of the country’s sub-soil wealth and its sustainable development.
• MAURITANIDES is an established even and in 2010 was inaugurated by His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, President, Islamic Republic of Mauritania, it featured more than 600 delegates and 50 exhibitors, emanating from over 30 countries including all of the major players in Mauritania’s mining industry
• In his welcome speech, His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, President, Islamic Republic of Mauritania remarked “the constant influx into the country of mining investors was measured by the presence of them today in Nouakchott and demonstrates the actual intense activity in geological prospection which comprises of over 50 mining companies ( of which are included large multinationals) who are operating on 170 mining permits”,
• New for 2012!: MAURITANIDES 2012 will include a promotion for Mauritania’s hugely promising oil and gas sector!!

Mauritania: A rapidly developing mining and petroleum destination

• The mining sector, Mauritania’s engine for economic growth: The mining sector with the extractive industries contributes 24% of total GDP (2010) and represents more than half of the country’s export income.
• Mauritania a global leader in iron ore production: Mauritania is the second largest exporter of iron ore in Africa, the Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière de Mauritanie (SNIM) produces approximately 11 MT of iron ore per annum, with production targeted to expand to 18 MT in 2014 and 25 MT in 2018. The programme of modernisation pertaining to the Guelb II is projected at over 1 billion US dollars, this includes: the extension of the existing mine, the construction of an iron ore enrichment plant with a capacity of 4MTper annum, as well as the new mineral port in Nouadhibou, all of this will contribute to increasing and improving iron ore production and export. SNIM also achieved ISO 14001 certification in Spring 2011 for its environmental management system.

Mauritania’s mining sector has benefited greatly from diversifying its mineral production. As an iron ore producer for nearly half a century, Mauritania has seen over the last few years the development of new resources through exploration, exploitation and extractions of other minerals substances such: gold, diamonds, cobalt, phosphates, salt, gypsum, zinc, lead, copper and uranium. New mines have comes onto line including:

1. The Guelb Moghrein deposit produced almost 37,000 tonnes of copper in concentrate and 81,766 ounces of gold in 2010. Copper output is anticipated to rise to about 50,000 tonnes by 2012..
2. The Tasiast Gold Mine, is one of the largest mining projects in Africa, proven and probable mineral reserves are 7.6 million ounces, measured and indicated mineral resources are 9.1 million ounces, and inferred mineral resources are 4.6 million ounces. An investment of $3 billion US dollars is predicted over the next three years
3. The phosphate projects of Bofal and Loubeira are being developed. Initial production is predicted to be 1 million tonnes per annum and the company exploiting the resource are planning to build a plant for the treatment of phosphoric acid which should be operational by 2013.
4. New deposits of iron ore are showing excellent results notably Lebtheinia with a deposit approximately of 2,742 Mt and also the promising iron ore project at Kaouat.
5. The results of drilling for uranium at Bir En Nar are also very encouraging
6. The production of high quality quartz (Oum Agneina Nouadhibou), with approximately 300 000 tonnes per annum is set to start production from now until 2014.

Mauritania’s oil and gas resources, huge potential and largely unexplored

• The Chinguetti oil field, lying at a depth of a half-mile, was discovered in 2001. According to Chinguetti's operator, production from is predicted to increase from 4,000 barrels per day to 8,000 barrels of oil a day by the end of the year (2011)
• The Banda Field is estimated to contain upto 3 – 5 tcf of natural gas.
• The Tiof field is estimated to hold 350 million barrels of oil. It was discovered in 2003.
• The Tevet Field is believed to contain between 50 million and 100 million barrels of oil and may be tied into the Chinguetti development.
• The Pelican-1 exploration well located in the southern part of Block 7, the well discovered a significant hydrocarbon bearing sequence spanning over 1,000 feet in height. 
• The Cormoran-1 exploration well, located in offshore Block 7, completed drilling in January 2011. It lies ~ 2km to the south of the Pelican-1 gas discovery well,. The well successfully intersected gas in both Pelican and Cormoran..
• There is certainly plenty of scope for further discoveries offshore Mauritania. The eight blocks, over which exploration can happen, cover most of the country's offshore acreage. There has been little to no exploration of Mauritania’s onshore potential.

Quick links: please click on the relevant link for the required information

• MAURITANIDES 2012 brochure
• Mandate
• Delegate & exhibitor registration form
• Draft Program