Page 79 - pd276-Oct19-mag-web_Neat

Sudan steps in the right direction

s HE Dr Abbas Elshaikh Mohamed strives for peace and stability. purely exporting chromite,” Salih said.
ASalih, acting Minister of Minerals for Salih said there were more than 160 As the chromite sector takes shape,
the Republic of Sudan, took to the po- new blocks opened up for mining and ex- potential investors interested in Sudan
dium at Africa Down Under his country ploration activities and welcomed inves- may well be looking to the success of
was being reinstated as a member of the tors to Sudan. Canadian company Orca Gold Inc.
African Union. Meanwhile, he was encouraged to see Orca is in the final stages of permitting
The move came after 25 years of mili- that the chromite industry in Sudan was the Block 14 gold project, which is de-
tary rule was ended in August and a Sov- being expanded on. scribed as one of the best construction-
ereign Council administered to install a “Some companies are starting to con- ready projects in Africa.
new leadership. centrate chromite as Sudan shifts from Orca said it was optimistic it would
Abdalla Hamdok, an economist and demonstrate Sudan could host a large-
technocrat whose most recent work has scale commercial gold mine and looked
been with the African Development Bank forward to progressing discussions with
and the UN Economic Commission for the new government.
Africa, is Sudan’s new Prime Minister. Block 14 is primed to produce 5.8 mtpa
Hamdok and his cabinet of 18 ministers @ 1.49 g/t gold at an average 228,000
(two more to be added), which includes ozpa over the first seven years, with
the country’s first ever female Foreign Af- 167,000 ozpa scheduled for the 13.6
fairs Minister, will lead the Government years life of mine.
towards proposed democratic elections Pre-production capital of $US328 mil-
in 2022-23. lion to get Block 14 going, with life-of-
Under the new government, Sudan mine AISC estimated at $US783/oz.
hopes its mining sector can contribute
to economic prosperity as the country – Mark Andrews
HE Abbas Salih

Paydirt chairman Bill Repard, West Australian Governor Kim Beasley and Australian High Commissioner to Accra Andrew Barnes at
the Africa Down Under Ministerial Dinner at Fraser’s Restaurant, Kings Park. Following the conference, Africa Down Under creator
Repard was reappointed to the Federal Government’s Advisory Group for Australia-Africa Relations (AGAAR) for three years. Repard
has served on AGAAR since the group’s inception in 2015 having built Africa Down Under into the largest forum for Australian-African
relations in the world

aUSTRaLIa’S PaYDIRT OCTOBeR 2019 Page 79