Copper
Mauritania produced it first copper from the Guelb Moghrein copper-gold mine in July 2006; commercial production began in October 2006. The Guelb Moghrein Mine is located in the Inchiri region near the town of Akjoujt about 250 kilometers (km) northeast of Nouakchott. Estimates of copper reserves at the Guelb Moghrein Mine were 19 million metric tons (Mt) of proven reserves and 11 Mt of probable reserves with a cut off grade of 0.65% copper.
Gold
Two gold deposits are in operation in Mauritania: the Tasiast gold mine and the Guelb Moghrein
Other numbers of areas with remarkable gold potential were identified. They include:
• Seven large shear zones potential hosts contemporaneous to late orogenic fault-associated mineralisation (Au, Zn, As, Sb, Cu, Ni, Co).
• Gleïbat Tenebdar granitoids (Tenebdar – Legleya) representing a potential for polymetallic mineralisations (Au, Ag, Cu, Sn, W and Sb),
• Late acid volcanic belts of Legleya and Imourène – Alous Tmar and the volcano-sedimentary belt of Aguelt Nebkha
• Detritic sandstone-conglomerate formations of epiclastic character which occur in some volcano-detritic Paleoproterozoic belts
Iron OreMining of iron ore, is one of the largest industries in Mauritania. Research shows that Mauritania has nearly one billion tons of mineral deposits. The national mining company SNIM, mines nearly all of the country’s iron ore in cooperation with certain partners The Guelb El Aouj definitive feasibility study was completed and reportedly demonstrated the quality of the iron ore at the Guelb El Aouj deposit and the viability of developing a 7-Mt/yr direct-reduction iron ore pellet plant.
At the portion of the mine known as Libtheinia Center of 2.0 to 2.3 billion metric tons (Gt) of in situ magnitude banded iron formation (BIF) mineralization grading from 32% to 33% iron. It is estimated that iron ore deposits at Libtheinia Center, Libtheinia East, and Libtheinia South would supply enough iron for a 30-Mt/yr-capacity blast furnace pellet plant
A memorandum of understanding was signed to develop iron ore resources in the El Agareb iron ore deposit located northeast of the Zouerate mining province of Mauritania, which had more than 1 Gt of high-grade magnetite iron. This could produce 25 Mt/yr of iron ore.
UraniumIn recent years several companies prospected for uranium and conducted exploration activities in Mauritania. The results of the drilling that was conducted at the Bir En Nar area in the Zednes region indicated several high-grade uranium intersections, including four holes with intercepts of greater than 5,000 parts per million (ppm) eU3O8.
CementThe production capacity of the two cement producers in Mauritania—Ciment de Mauritanie and Mauritano-Française des Ciments S.A—was 850 Mt/yr, and the actual production had been about 38% of the capacity. The local cement consumption of 250,000 metric tons per year (t/yr), which averaged 75 kilograms per capita, Excess cement could be exported to Mali, but the lack of good transportation routes was an obstacle that would need to be overcome before additional material could be exported.
In addition to the above mentioned products, several exploration programmes are under way for other minerals, mainly – quartz, diamonds, chromium, Platinum group elements (EGP), REE, phosphates and gemstones.