The location was among the highlights of discussion during the eighth National Mining and Quarrying Conference at the Pegasus Hotel Monday as mining week commenced under the theme “Improving methods, satisfying stakeholders and securing property from the sector.”

A detailed outline of the location and the exploration plans were provided in power point form by Dr Serge Nadeau, a French Canadian native who is qualified in geology and geochemistry. He is at present attached to the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).

Part of the discussion on the chemistry of the Potaro basin focused on the potential which it has for PGMs, the general name given to minerals such as platinum along with palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and osmium, all of which play a key role in the manufacturing process.

“There is a potential for more PGMs but we need to find it at the moment… we are hoping to find an area where there is higher concentration to make it more economic” Dr Nadeau said.

The Potaro project is located south of the Pakaraimas and Kuribrong where previous projects were done by the GGMC in 2001. The location surrounds several Amerindian communities in Region Eight, including Chenapau, Karasparu, Kopinang and Kamana.

It is still however, yet to be fully explored. Save for a few small scale diamond mining entities and application for a large scale exploration permit by GoldStone Resources, a gold mineral exploration company based in South Africa, little has been done.

Investment in the 1695 square kilometer area is estimated at $22M and will require a large labour force comprising skilled personnel from the GGMC and the Amerindian communities.

Dr Nadeau said Amerindians in the area have been given prior consultation about the imminent projects and the work of the GGMC.

Early this year, GGMC and former Director of Geology of GoldStone, Dr Lawrie Minter, visited the area and obtained soil and rock samples. In 2002 he made a proposal to cover all of the Pakaraima Mountains for mineral value.

Dr Nadeau expressed hope that the Upper Potaro project will help to evaluate the potential for alluvial gold and diamond, and more importantly evaluate the potential for PGM value.

During the period October-November 2000, field work was done in the headwater of the Potaro River to evaluate the bauxite potential and explore other minerals for commercial value. (GINA)