Sierra Leone

CIA Factbook
Political rights and civil liberties (Freedom House)
Travel and accommodation

Source: CIA Factbook

Maps and images

• Sierra Leone Google Satellite Maps
• Sierra Leone Cities,Towns, Airports, Maps, Images
• Sierra Leone Image-1
• Sierra Leone Image-2
• Sierra Leone Minerals
• Sierra Leone Topography-1 SW
• Sierra Leone Topography-2 SE
• Sierra Leone Topography-3 NE
• Sierra Leone Topography-4 NW

Aluminium

• Sierra Leone Ore and Metal Company mines at Mokanji at a rate of 1,5 million t per year.

Diamond

Click HERE for an overview

West African Diamonds Mines - Sierra Leone (Kevin Hulsey-Jewelry)

Sierra Leone exported 603 623 ct of diamonds in 2007, in line with the previous year, but the value of sales rose to $142-million as quality improved, a government official said in January, 2008. The value of exports had increased from $127-million in 2006, when 603 868 ct were exported.

History

Sierra Leone is renowned for the quality of its diamonds and for the recovery of some of the most spectacularly large stones of very high value. The largest diamond, discovered in February 1972, was the 969,8 ct 'Star of Sierra Leone'. More recently, in 1996, two stones weighing 188 ct and 283 ct were recovered and sold. Annual output reached a peak of around 2 million ct in the late 1960's, with output declining thereafter. By 1997, output was seriously disrupted by RUF rebel activity, with most of the diamondiferous areas becoming off-limits.
Sierra Leone's established diamond fields cover an area of almost 20,000 km2 (over one- quarter of the country) in the southeastern and eastern parts of Sierra Leone. They are concentrated in Kono, Kenema and Bo Districts and are mainly situated in the drainage areas of the Sewa, Bafi, Woa, Mano and Moa Rivers. Kimberlites, the primary source of diamonds, were first discovered in 1948 in the Koidu area and subsequently at Tongo. Alluvial diamond concentrations occur in river-channel gravels, flood-plain gravels, terrace gravels and in gravel residues in soils and swamps. (Source: African Diamonds plc)

Diamond mining in the Yengema area, Kono District
Source: Sierra Leone.org

• Artisanal mining around the town of Koidu-Sefadu, in Kono District on the eastern border with Guinea and Liberia. Mechanized alluvial mining at the Magna Egoli alluvial mine along the Sewa River between the towns of Bo and Kenema. The mine was developed and run by Rex Mining of Antwerp until 2002, when operations were taken over by Fauvilla Ltd. and Waldman Diamond Resources of Israel.
  

• Energem Resources Inc (Canadian, ENM.TO) has a 40% stake in Koidu Holdings SA (Magna holds 35% and BSGR holds 25%) which is developing the Koidu kimberlite project as well as exploring three alluvial concessions Matemu, Upper and Middle Sewa and the Tongo Fields Kimberlite Dyke Deposit. Koidu comprises two pipes and four dyke zones and has estimated indicated and inferred resources of 1,52 million t @ 0,55 carats per tonne on the No. 1 pipe and 2,9 million t @ 0,26 carats per tonne (indicated and inferred resources) at the No. 2 pipe. Production for 2006 amounted to 80 152 carats with an average value of US$ 233 per carat (see video). By the end of 2007, the government of Sierra Leone had formerly ordered the temporary closure of the country’s sole operating kimberlite diamond mine after illegal mining activities by artisanal diggers in Koidu Holdings’ concession area made it impossible to safely exploit the deposit.
  

• Cream Minerals Ltd (Canadian, CRMXE.OB, CRMXF.OB, CMA.V) entered into an agreement with Casierra Diamond Corporation ("CDC") and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Casierra Development Fund Inc. ("CDF") (collectively, Casierra") to earn an interest in production from two exclusive prospecting licence areas for diamonds and other minerals and metals in Sierra Leone. Cream has the option to earn up to a 70% interest in the property. Casierra has been working in Sierra Leone since 1993 and obtained its first prospecting licence on the Sewa River, which drains the Kono diamond area. Kono is an important centre of diamond production in Sierra Leone with a high percentage of gem quality diamonds coming from kimberlite and alluvial sources. Extensive alluvial diamond exploitation has been carried out upstream of the CDF licence. In late 1994, CDF obtained its second offshore special Exclusive Prospecting Licence at the mouth of two rivers with extensive alluvial diamond mining activity, the Moa and the Mano. In a report written for the Geological Survey of Sierra Leone "The Diamond Fields of Sierra Leone", Hall (1966), reports production from 1950 to 1965 on the section of the river above the Sewa River licence, as 42,000 cubic yards with an average recovered grade of 0,75 carats per yard. He further reports 64,000 cubic yards production at similar grade for the same period from the section downstream from the licence and suggests substantial reserves remain in these areas. Based on study of the Sewa River placers and minor sampling, Hall presents an estimate for the section of the river contained within the licence area. He suggests 2,900,000 cubic yards at 0,4 carats per yard for the channel gravels and 1,500,000 cubic yards at 0,4 carats per yard for the flats and low terraces. Cream reported in August, 2007, that its joint venture partner, Casierra Development Fund Inc ("CDF") had applied for mining licences covering 31 acres (12 hectares) within its diamond exploration licence on the Sewa River in Sierra Leone. This will enable the joint venture to continue bulk sampling and start small scale mining of alluvial diamonds and gold. If, as anticipated, the licences are granted, the joint venture will be in a legal position to sell any production results after submitting the gem stones to the Government of Sierra Leone for royalty payment and the Kimberley Process Certification.
  

• Mano River Resources Inc (Canadian, MNO.V) has created a new subsidiary Stellar Diamonds Limited to handle its diamond assets for which it plans to list on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) in London within a year, the company announced on April 5, 2007. The company intends starting underground diamond production on the Kono kimberlite dyke joint venture with Petra Diamonds in 2008. Petra Diamonds has a 51% interest in the Kono Project. Diamond recovery from the first bulk samples from the Lion fissures commenced in June, 2006. Petra said in September, 2007, that test work had combined weathered, diluted and mixed underground diamondiferous kimberlitic material, which had yielded 2,809 diamonds, totalling 241.7 carats. The ten largest stones ranged from 7.2 carats down to 0.65. The work done then was too limited to determine a representative grade or value. Minerva Resources has a minority interest (24.5%) in the Lake Sonfon Diamond Project, operated by Manor River Resources. Mano River Resources has announced that reconnaissance work has confirmed the presence of macro-diamonds, one of which is classified as a clear white octahedral gemstone weighing 0.315 carats, and of kimberlite indicator minerals, within the Lake Sonfon JV area.
  

• African Diamonds plc (AFCDF.PK, also active in Botswana, Guinea) holds two exploration licences and a mining lease over a large tailing deposit. West African Diamonds plc (WAD) is a diamond focused explorer with operations in Sierra Leone and Guinea. Formed from the West African assets of AIM LIsted African Diamonds plc and recently acquire additional licences in Guinea. WAD contains a portfolio of development and advanced exploration assets across West Africa.
  

• River Diamonds plc (RVD.L) is exploring the kimberlite dykes at Panguma adjacent to the Tongon diamondiferous kimberlite dykes. The company estimates that the kimberlite dykes on the concession represent between 1-million and 1,2-million tons of kimberlite. At an average grade of between 50 and 70 carats per hundred tons, this represents between 500 000 ct and 840 000 ct.
  
  
• Sierra Leone Diamond Company Ltd and its wholly owned subsidiaries have assembled a portfolio of mineral rights in Sierra Leone, covering some 36,364 square kilometres, which rights include not only diamonds but in many cases also precious metals, base metals, iron ore, rutile, bauxite and rare earths. The focus is on the discovery of diamondiferous kimberlite deposits.
  
  
• Target Resources plc operates through its subsidiary Milestone Trading Ltd and its Sierra Leone subsidiaries. Its main objective is the recovery of alluvial diamonds and gold in the Kono district of Sierra Leone.
  

Gold in Sierra Leone

Gold Home

Sierra Leone: Government Suspends Exploration Licences
January 17, 2007

Minister of Mineral Resources, Alhaji Mohamed Swaray-Deen told the Concord Times newspaper in an interview that government has decided to suspend further issuance of exploration and prospecting licences to potential and non performing companies.

Swaray-Deen explained that President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah recently reached an understanding with the government of the People's Republic of China to carry out exploration of all minerals in the country. "We will not issue out new licences for now. We will only renew exploration and prospecting licences to companies that have performed satisfactorily well.

Mining companies like Sierra Minerals and Koidu Holdings Ltd. will continue their work unhindered, Swaray-Deen said, adding that the Chinese were in the country and had already taken mineral samples for analysis.

"The next step will depend on the result of this analysis. Our aim is to create a data bank of all minerals in the country," he explained and reiterated that all companies that have performed satisfactorily well would be allowed to continue their work.

Geology

The Archean Nimini Hills and Sula Mountains Greenstone Belts have banded iron formation and shear-zone-hosted gold occurrences.

• Mano River Resources Inc. (MNO.V) holds seven gold properties in central Sierra Leone totaling approximately 750 km², which include Nimini, Sonfon, and Pampana North and South. Golden Star Resources Ltd (AMEX:GSS; TSX:GSC) has entered into a joint venture agreement (earning up to 85%) and is engaged in regional early stage exploration.

• Cluff Gold plc ( CLUGF.PK, also active in Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Mali) has a right to earn a 60 per cent interest in the Baomahun project in Sierra Leone to be acquired from Winston Mines which owns the two exploration licences relating to Baomahun covering an area of approximately 137 km2. A total of more than 9,000 m of drilling has been completed during 2005 and 2006 and a resource of more than 880,000 oz has been established to date.

• West African Diamonds plc has commenced gold exploration in the Nimini Hills Greenstone Belt. Early reconnaissance sampling for gold at the Nimini Hills gave encouraging results.
  

Oil and Natural Gas

In October 2005, Sierra Leone signed an agreement with Nigerian’s oil and natural gas company, Frazimex Ltd, allowing the company to explore for oil in Block 3 for seven years. Several test wells drilled in the 1970's on Sierra Leone's continental shelf produced "shows" of oil.

Platinum

• Jubilee Platinum plc's York PGM Project. Joint venture (50%) with AIM listed Golden Prospect plc which covers the central section of the Freetown Layered Gabbro Complex, an area with a history of artisanal platinum production. A reconnaissance programme in early 2004 extended the known mineralization (soil samples assaying previously up to 0,84 g/t) of an anomalous 2 m-wide PGM zone to 8,5 km strike length from 5 km, with similar elevated PGMs in soil samples. A second-phase programme of trenching was completed in 2005.