Matthews Ridge to transform into manganese district
–project will lend to creation of other activities
REUNION Manganese Incorporated, located at Matthews Ridge, North West District in Region One, will soon become fully operational in Guyana. There are enough resources for the feasibility study to be completed shortly. The company’s Chief Operations Officer, Joachim Bayah, made this disclosure during an official stakeholders’ visit to the site on Friday, February 24.
Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud, who was also part of the stakeholders’ meeting, expressed his satisfaction with the work completed thus far, and reiterated government’s support for the operations.
According to Persaud, “The company will bring tremendous benefits to residents in the region, and will provide employment for one thousand persons when it becomes operational.”
He said that while the project will lend to the creation of a number of other activities, it should be executed in a “socially and environmentally-friendly manner”.
“I am happy that you are meeting timelines with regards to drilling, and the investment and pace of work demonstrates seriousness,” Minister Persaud added.
Government has so far plugged some Gy$50 million into the project to assist with reconstruction of roads in the region, given importance of roads in moving equipment and other materials critical to the project.
Minister Persaud called for inclusivity of Regional Democratic officials in execution of the project. According to him, this “will allow them to have a better understanding of what is taking place, in order to provide the relevant information to the residents.”
Meanwhile, Leader of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), retired Brigadier David Granger, also pledged support for the resuscitation of manganese mining, but noted that the scarcity of geologists should be addressed, as well as the absence of a commercial bank in Region One.
However, responding, Minister Persaud revealed that plans are on stream to open a national mining school, given demands in the mining sector. He said the Guyana Government has already started discussions with the Canadian Government in this regard. He also disclosed that the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) has indicated its interest in providing banking services in the region.
Meanwhile, Minister within the Local Government and Regional Development Ministry, Norman Whittaker, also called for closer collaboration with the Regional Development Council (RDC), and suggested consultations be held quarterly, as this will allow RDC officials to make contributions and disseminate information to the residents.
Geologist Dr. Grantley Walrond, in his presentation, said the operation is going according to plan, but noted that “Matthews Ridge will soon become a manganese district” because the company has some 45,000 acres of land under its prospectus licence, and at current manganese prices, its potential resource is valued at in excess of Gy$1.5 billion.
“The primary use of manganese ore is in the production of alloys for steel making, while there are other non-ferrous alloys,” he added. He further explained that, after mining and processing, manganese concentrate has 25 percent manganese in it.
The length of the mineralisation is 15 kilometres, while 126 trenches were cut at a depth of 12,500 metres in total, and some 498 holes were drilled at a length of 33,886 metres in total.