MUSCAT -- Mawarid Mining LLC, the mining and exploration arm of the MB Group of Companies, hopes to become the first privately owned Omani mining firm to undertake underground mining operations in the Sultanate. According to a senior executive, underground mining targeting copper ore deposits at the company's Ghuzayn concession near Sohar is due to commence around the middle of next year. Saud bin Khamis al Mahrooqi, Business Development Manager, told a major mining industry forum earlier this week that the move is a reflection of Mawarid Mining's growing capabilities in the field of mineral exploration.
"Our vision is to emerge as the biggest privately owned mining firm in the Middle East," Al Mahrooqi said at a workshop organised by the Directorate-General of Minerals (Ministry of Commerce and Industry).
Presenting on the theme, 'Mawarid Mining's Successful Investment in the Minerals Sector', he said the company would utilise its formidable in-house resources and expertise and the experience gained by established miners to excavate for copper ore far below ground. This foray would effectively mark a maiden shift from the company's present focus on surface mining in the Sultanate, he said.
In the company's sights are deposits of copper-bearing massive sulphides that begin 77 metres below the surface and descend to a depth of 320 metres. While the commercial viability of mining this ore body has been confirmed by tests and studies, there is potential to go still deeper if new tests confirm the presence of much larger deposits at the site, he said. "The (presence of the) resources are confirmed, and the project itself will basically run for something like 8 to 10 years," Al Mahrooqi said, adding that the company is presently focused on securing the requisite approvals and permits from the relevant government agencies.
Since its establishment in 1997, Mawarid Mining has primarily focused on the mining of copper from Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide ore deposits (VMS) in northern Oman. The company currently holds three blocks -- Blocks 1, 2 and Ghuzayn -- all prospective for VMS deposits. Exploratory tests have resulted so far in four significant discoveries, dubbed Safwa, Khaznah, Mandoos and Aswad. At present, the company produces copper from the Mandoos mine located about 45km from Sohar. Mandoos has a resource potential estimated at 8.2 million tons of copper ore with 1.48 per cent of copper. Copper concentrate is sold locally or to overseas buyers via Sohar Port. Underscoring its vision to evolve into a major player, Mawarid Mining has since announced successful forays into Africa and Central Asia, besides the wider Middle East.
© Oman Daily Observer 2013
