19 Sep 2024

Government continues to advance mineral discoveries through research in order to expand the country’s economic status.

This is demonstrated by the Nossop-Ncojane Block Interpretation of Aeromagnetic Data Project which aims to rekindle mineral prospecting in the Nossop-Ncojane region,  says the Minister of Minerals and Energy Mr Lefoko Moagi.

Minister Moagi was speaking during the stakeholder appraisal of the Nossop-Ncojane Block Interpretation of Aeromagnetic Data Project in Tsabong on Wednesday.

The project will contribute to private  sector-led growth by improving the geological understanding necessary for mineral exploration investments.

In that regard, the minister said the project marked yet another milestone in pursuit of economic diversification, in a bid to transform Botswana into a high-income status through innovation and technological advancement.

Furthermore, Mr Moagi said over 70 per cent of potential mineral resources in the country remained unexplored and therefore, the project targeted to unravel that. He highlighted that the baseline data which would be acquired would serve as a resource for exploration and mining companies as well as empowering other key stakeholders with relevant geoscientific data.

He said the project findings would be disseminated online just like the current available Mining Cadastre which allowed every citizen to apply and submit their application for exploration or mining licenses, and or mineral permits within the country. 

“These platforms have underpinned facilitation of effective information management and dissemination to potential investors both in Botswana and globally,” he said.

Moreover, the minister said in March last year, Botswana Geoscience Institute completed a project in northern Botswana which entailed systematic interpretation of existing high resolution of airborne magnetic data acquired by both government private sector over the years. 

The idea was to map underlying geology and mineral occurrences and to further entice private sector investment in mining in the northern region.

For his part, Botswana Geoscience Institute CEO, Mr Olefile Mashabila said the project which was awarded to New Resolution Geophysics company started works in Ncojane in April and was launched in Tsabong on Wednesday. He affirmed that mining exploration had been slow on the western part of Botswana for the reason that it was covered by thick sand hence very expensive and challenging to identify the type of rocks two meters beneath the surface. 

As such, he said local companies in partnership with international companies were able to identify the technology that would make work easier.

He assured Tsabong district authorities that the project would yield results, adding that this was the first phase of the project which would take two years. 

Funded by government, the project is expected to be fully completed by March 2025.

Interpretation of Aeromagnetic Data Nossop Ncojane Block Project manager, Mr Diloro Pitlho said the project was ahead of schedule as they were currently sitting at 71 per cent completion rate. 

He said the project was funded at a cost of P77 million and so far they have expended P33 million.

Through the project, he said they sought to discover new minerals in the area, adding that so far the project had uncovered  copper deposits, gold, iron, nickel and platinum.

 He said Botswana Geoscience Institute has done some pre-works to improve mining prospecting in the Northern side of Botswana where they interpreted similar data to enhance geological understanding, coming up with potential areas with mineral endowments.

For his part, Kgosi David Toto II of Tsabong decried that over the years, a number of mineral explorations have been carried out in Kgalagadi but to date there was no mine in the area. He was hopeful that the Nossop-Ncojane Block Interpretation of Aeromagnetic Data Project would yield results to benefit the community. Ends