THE execution  of the US$250M Manganese Mining Project in Mathew’s Ridge, North West District , by Reunion Manganese Inc., is expected to bring with it a plethora of benefits to the community through job creation and improvement in infrastructure. The Canadian company’s Chief Operations Officer, Joachim Bayah, made this observation Thursday at a business luncheon hosted by the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) at the Regency Suites, Hadfield Street, Georgetown.

According to Bayah, once fully operational, the project will result in improved road linkages, a revamping of the rail link and the barge canal to facilitate the operations there.

Alluding to specific infrastructural enhancements which will be undertaken, he said the company will be assisting to repair the airstrip which has deteriorated over time, due to the increased air traffic in the area.
As to additional advantages of this venture, he said, “This development in the North West will open up great possibilities, such as the potential expansion of agriculture, aquaculture, mining and quarrying, reforestation, fabrication and industrial development.”
He said the exploration activities by the company created over 300 jobs last year and an additional 300 jobs will be created this year, and he projected that during construction of the facilities, close to 1,000 persons will be needed, while 500 will be required for the operations.

Despite the fact that there will be more jobs available in the area, with the resurgence of the manganese mining activities, Bayah pointed to the lack of skilled Guyanese personnel to fill vital positions such a venture would require, particularly geologists.
He explained, “When the full operations get underway, we will need accountants, not just geologists and members at the administrative level. The amount of work that will be required to maintain the exploration and eventual mining schedule of the Matthews Ridge area is enormous.”
In an effort to address this setback, he announced that Reunion Corporation will continue to work with the University of Guyana to assist with scholarships for students, not only to pursue studies in the mining sector, but in other disciplines as well.

He pointed to the great potential of the manganese mining industry, and expressed the hope that an offshore division will be developed to bypass the proposed Trinidad processing and drop-off station.
“The company is examining the feasibility of setting up a floating trans-shipment facility some 30 kilometers offshore, for shipping the manganese to Trinidad… we will weigh all these possibilities and see what happens,” Bayah stated.

Guyana has several known occurrences of manganese, but the mineral is primarily found in Matthews Ridge and Pipiani, in Region 1 (Barima /Waini).
The area was named after FPF Matthews, a government economic geologist who first discovered manganese in the area in 1951.
The prospecting licenses Reunion Manganese obtained from the Guyanese government in September, 2010, cover an area of 45,729 acres and centre on the abandoned manganese mine at Matthews Ridge and Pipiani, once operated by a subsidiary of Union Carbide Corporation, from 1962 to 1968.