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Togo

General Directorate of Mines and Geology (DGMG) (Direction Général des Mines et de la Géologie)
Ministry of Equipment, Mines, Energy, Post and Telecommunications (Ministère de l'Equipement, des Mines, de l'Energie et des Postes et Télécommunications)
B.P. 356, Lome
Phone: +228-221 3001
Fax: +228-221 3193  

Togo Mining Code
CIA Factbook
Political rights and civil liberties (Freedom House)
French-English online dictionary
Travel and accommodation

The contribution of mining to total exports in 2010 amounted to 15.2%

Togo Mining News

Source: CIA Factbook


Legend
Legend and ore deposit name

Geology

Togo is largely underlain by Proterozoic granitoids and gneisses in the central and southern regions and Neoproterozoic metasediments in the north. Cretaceous to Recent basin sediments are restricted to the southern coastal area.

Mining

Mineral commodities produced in Togo include gold, diamonds, phosphate rock and other industrial minerals. Most of the industrial activity, which contributed 25% of GDP in 2008, was limited to phosphate rock production. Togo was Africa’s sixth largest producer of rock phosphate accounting for 2% of total output. Phosphate production increased by 12.3% in 2008 but overall has declined by 20 to 27% over recent years due in part to the depletion of easily accessible deposits. Togo also produces significant amounts of gold and diamonds by artisanal working. It was the sixth largest gold producer in Africa (comparable to the DRC) comprising 2.18% of the total. Diamond production has declined in recent years and Togo slipped in the rankings from 14th to 16th in 2008. Undeveloped mineral resources included bauxite, gypsum, iron ore, manganese, marble, rutile and zinc; there is potential for uranium and lithic metals on the basis of preliminary investigations.

Maps and images


Lithic Metals and Energy Ltd (previously Zambezi Nickel Ltd) (AIM: LMY), the AIM-quoted African nickel and uranium exploration and development company, acquired the entire issued share capital of RRCC in October, 2007. RRCC, through its wholly owned subsidiary, owns 90% of 19 granted mineral exploration licences in Togo (the government of Togo holding the balance).

Chrome

  • Lithic Metals' Haito project covers historical workings and outcrops of chromite in ophiolite.

Project                        Resource

Southern Togo             Phosphate

Southern Togo                        Clay

Bassar                          Phosphate

Pagala                                     Zinc

Haito                                    Nickel

Kara-Niamtougou           Uranium

Dapaong                              Gold

  • Premier African Minerals Ltd's Dapong Project consists of two permits, covering 400 sq km, for the exploration of gold and associated metals, which are valid for an initial period of three years. The Project is underlain by volcanic and sedimentary Birimian-aged intrusive rocks with minor volcanosedimentary sequences, quartz veins and pegmatites, which form part of the larger West African Craton geologic region. Gold mineralisation generally occurs along north to north-east trending shear zones and faults that cut Birimian belts or form the margins of these Birimian belts where sedimentary rocks often include paleo-placer gravels. Substantial gold mineralisation has previously been discovered within Birimian-aged formation belts located in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso. Major gold mines in the region include Tarkwa in Ghana operated by GoldFields which has a 15.Moz resource and produces circa 700,000 oz per annum; Oubasi mine in Ghana operated by AngloGold which produces circa 300,000 oz of gold per annum; and the Youga gold mine operated by Etruscan Resources in southern Burkina Faso which produces circa 80,000 oz of gold per annum. Multiple rivers draining Birimian rocks in the West African Craton hold alluvial gold deposits and an initial reconnaissance visit by Premier geological teams have already identified four areas in the drainage systems where there has been recent artisanal activity. The Project is considered to be highly prospective for gold, having extensive artisanal activity but has not yet been the subject of systematic exploration. The Board believes that the area offers excellent development potential due to its location and geological signature. Accordingly, using its existing resources in Togo, the Company intends to immediately commence exploration in order to quantify the full potential of the highly prospective area.
Manganese
  • Ferrex plc holds an 85% interest in the Nayega manganese project in northern Togo, which consists of five Exploration Permits covering 92,390 hectares. The project is 30km from a main road which has direct access to the regionally important deepwater port of Lome 600km away and has 350,000t per annum back loading capabilities. A Definitive Feasibility Study is currently underway and due to be completed on receipt of the Mining Licence which is under application. The Board believes the project has the potential to develop in to a low capital and operating cost manganese mine in the near term, which would generate significant cashflow for the Company. Nayega is a residual manganese deposit, comprising lateritic and saprolitic mineralisation extending up to 10m below surface blanketed by a veneer of detrital material that averages 0.5m thick. Pitting has revealed that mineralisation, which is on average 3.3m thick, occurs over a strike length of 2.2km at widths of up to 500m. A total of 193 pits were dug in three phases, for 767.49m cumulative total depth. Pits were dug on 100m centres, with an infill area where 50m spaced offset pits were dug, to depths ranging between 0.15 and 10.7m with an average depth of 4.38m. Continuous vertical channel samples 10cm wide by 10cm deep were collected at 50cm intervals (maximum) from the top to the bottom of each pit and submitted to a commercial laboratory for assay by XRF. These assay results allowed the Company's resource consultant to estimate a Measured JORC Code (2012) compliant resource of 2.0Mt @ 17.1% Mn over the infill area and an Indicated JORC Code (2012) compliant resource of 9.0Mt @ 12.2% Mn for a total compliant resource of 11.0Mt @ 13.1% Mn. Initial metallurgical testwork, has shown that ore is beneficiable via a low-cost process route of screening and gravity concentration to produce a saleable manganese product of 38% Mn.
Nickel
  • Lithic Metals' Haito Project has identfied nickel mineralization in test pits, soils and rock chips over a large ophiolite complex. 
  • Premier African Minerals Ltd's Haito Project located in southwest Togo (a two-hour drive from the capital, Lomé) and close to the railhead at Kpalime. The Haito Project is a highly prospective grassroots project with good development potential. The project consists of three Exploration Permits issued for nickel and associated minerals. In May 2009, a JORC compliant Inferred Mineral Resource estimate was established for the Mont Kpote prospect by Datageo Geological Consultants. The estimate was based on assays from 94 pits excavated by the Group and 23 historical pits. This Inferred Mineral Resource was calculated with a cut-off grade of 0.7% nickel and has been estimated as 7.2Mt at 0.99% nickel. Haito sits within the greater Kpote Deposit area, which has the potential to build 10-15Mt at 0.8-1.05% nickel. Should Premier's geological expectations be realised, a nickel mine at Haito could have a potential mine life in excess of 20 years. Higher-grade portions of the resource would be targeted during the first 10 years of mining. The viability of the nickel resources at Kpote revolves around the atmospheric leachability of the laterite (i.e. acid consumption, leach times and iron residues). Premier intends funds permitting, to send four bulk samples for atmospheric acid leach testing and to develop further exploration at Haito once the results of this test work are known.
Oil and Natural Gas

  • Petronas and Hunt Oil Company are exploring for oil. Hunt Oil signed a PSC with Togo in late July 2002 for the country's first deepwater well. In addition, Togo awarded Hunt Oil the exclusive rights to the country’s entire offshore area. The contract area, previously divided into 15 blocks, covers 1,570 square miles.
  • Premier African Minerals Ltd's Southern Togo Priject is located approximately 25km northeast of Lomé is an exploration-stage project with the potential to host phosphate mineralisation. The three contiguous exploration permits are also prospective for attapulgite, rare earths and uranium. The immediate area benefits from good access to rail, power, road and port facilities, as a result of two adjacent mining operations: a major phosphate open pit mine (Société Nationale des Phosphates du Togo, SNPT) and a limestone quarry and clinker facility (West African Cement S.A.). The deposit occurs in a sedimentary basin with proven economically viable deposits and strong indications that the ore bodies or extensions of them are present on Premier's properties, which align along strike of the SNPT operations. It is likely that a potential phosphate deposit in the Exploration Permit area is simple and amenable to low cost open cast mining. Premier's work programme, funds permitting, aims to demonstrate the potential for 75 million tonnes of phosphate rock at 32% P2O5. The Bassar Project is a large-scale phosphate resource. Drill testing at the Bassar I, III and IV license areas has revealed economic widths and grades, which indicates that this project may be amenable to open cast development. Bassar is located approximately 350km north of Lomé and comprises two contiguous permits and one separate permit granted for phosphate and associated minerals. The project has good road access to the N1 tar road and is situated 10km from the power grid at Bassar. A non compliant estimate by Premier, based on mapping and a small number of boreholes gathered during historical exploration, indicates 22 million tonnes at 22% P2O5, which will require verification through an exploration programme. Historic exploration has proven the presence of acceptable quality phosphate ore. Premier intends, funds permitting, to conduct a 1,000m core drill programme to establish both the grade-width characteristics of the deposits and their dip. The project will be re-evaluated once this work has been completed. Premier African Minerals Limited announced in June 2013 that, further to the announcement of 24 May 2013 relating to the acquisition by Ethiopian Potash Corp. (‘EPC’) (TSX Venture: ‘FED’), of Premier’s Mali subsidiary G and B African Resources Mali SARL (‘Mali Sub’), and its Togo subsidiary, G and B African Resources SARL (‘Togo Sub’) for an aggregate consideration of 120,000,000 new shares in EPC on 3 June 2013 certain amendments to the sale and purchase agreement in respect of the Togo Sub have been agreed to satisfy the requirements of the TSX Venture Exchange (‘TSXV’). The announcement dated 24 May 2013 stated that the Combined Transaction was subject, inter alia, to TSXV and EPC Shareholder consent. Commenting on the proposed transaction, George Roach, Premier Chairman said; “The net effect of these transactions will be that Premier acquires a significant interest in EPC that in turn retains a 30% interest in their highly prospective Danakil basin property. At the same time, EPC will re-focus on development of Agricultural and Industrial minerals through the Togo and Mali acquisitions. In particular, the properties in Southern Togo are attractive, as much for the exploration potential as for the presence of extensive infrastructure and proximity to tide-water.”

Uranium
  • Lithic Metals' Niamtougou – Kara Project covers an area where historical exploration had identified pitchblende and uranophane uranium mineralization over a number of prospects in drilling and trenching. Uranium grades to 1500ppm (0.15%) U3O8 were recorded in drilling and trenching. 
  • Premier African Minerals Ltd's Kara-Niamtougou Project comprises nine contiguous Exploration Permits granted for uranium and associated minerals. Historical exploration undertaken in the 1970s included mapping, ground spectrometer traversing, trenching and pitting. Three priority targets were drilled: Sondage 1. Sondage 10-11 and Sondage 13. U3O8 content was discovered to be variable. Low-end averages stood at 0.14% U3O8 and maximum values reached 0.45% U3O8. Previous workers established a non-SAMREC Compliant Exploration Target of 100 tonnes uranium metal. Although further exploration is required to define the genetic model for the known mineralisation, there are indications of associations to both local and regional structures, lithology and alteration. Through its exploration work, Premier has confirmed the nature and host lithology of the uranium mineralisation and has identified a 60km strike of anomalous aero-radiometric anomalies and associated structural controls. Premier believes that two geological models exist:
Sondage 1 and Extension
  • Structurally controlled
  • Alteration controlling precipitation of uranium
  • Mineralisation associated with biotite schist
Siou
  • Uncomformity-style
Premier intends, funds permitting, to drill test the two top priority targets at Sondage 1 and Siou with a combined total of 1,500m core drilling. Further work will be dependant on identifying sufficient potential mineralisation to warrant more extensive drill programmes.

Zinc

  • Lithic Metals' Pagala Project covers a known SEDEX zinc deposit previously explored by Anglo American. Substantial, wide-spaced, historical drilling targeted geophysical
    anomalies generated by multiple ground and airborne surveys. Drill intercepts include 6m @ 11.37% Zn.

    Premier African Minerals Ltd's Pagala Project is located 20km west of a main North–South road artery in Western Togo and within access of a freight rail connection. The Pagala Project consists of four contiguous Exploration Permits issued for zinc and associated minerals. Mineralisation is hosted in a graphite-sericite schist and sideritic breccias within a volcano sedimentary sequence. Exploration of this area began in 1983, since when both BRGM and Anglo American have previously undertaken drill testing. In 2000, Ambase Exploration Limited recorded a non-SAMREC compliant ‘exploration target’, as defined in the SAMREC code, of 3.6 Mt at 2.7% zinc. Premier believes that BRGM and Anglo American may have failed to recognise the controlling geological structures and did not drill deep enough to identify the deposit’s true scope. A 2,000m core drilling programme is planned, funds permitting, to drill test the portions of an untested nappe structure where duplication and an increase in grade of the mineralisation may exist. Further work on the project will be results driven.

References

Economic geology of nonmetal deposits

Economic geology of ore deposits

Economic geology, general

Economic geology, general, deposits

Economic geology, general, economics

Economic geology, geology of nonmetal deposits

Economic geology, geology of ore deposits

Posted by Carel van der Merwe at 15.4.07