Page 46 - pd289-Dec20-mag-web_Neat

AFRIcA DoWn UnDeR

Don’t shout at your

biggest customer: Johnston

est Australian Minister for Mines and Pe- educational opportunities. WA’s internationally- Bill Johnston
W troleum Bill Johnston has vowed to con- renowned tertiary education, vocational edu-
tinue working with African counterparts to en- cation and training sector can play an impor- able resources industry.”
sure investment opportunities on the continent tant role in supporting these goals. Also critical to WA’s resources sector is
are realised for the benefit of all parties. “Our university sector has expertise in min- foreign investment. Asked by Liam Twigger
WA’s trade and investment relationship erals and petroleum geoscience and engi- of PCF Capital about the increasingly fraught
with the continent is stronger than any other neering, environmental science, resource eco- diplomatic and trade relationship between
Australian state, with the resources sector the nomics and finance, and resource law. Australia and China, Johnston said his Gov-
backbone of that relationship. “Our education and training sector has high- ernment had requested more clarity from the
“WA has increased its exports to Africa quality expertise in resource processing, drill- Federal Government.
by $315 million, 25%, since 2009-10,” John- ing, mineral exploration, mining, engineering, “It is an unusual approach to shout and
ston said. “The State’s total exports to Africa and surveying.” scream to your biggest customer,” he said.
reached $1.59 billion in 2019-20 – more than WA’s economy is the envy of many re- “Foreign investment has built Australia’s econ-
any other Australian state.” source-rich African countries with its strong omy and foreign investment.
However, the relationship runs much deeper reliance on commodity exports. “If the Commonwealth Government is go-
thanks to the WA Government’s longstanding The State exported $103 billion of iron ore, ing to draw rules around foreign investment,
MoU with the Common Market of East and $27 billion of LNG and $16 billion of gold in it needs not just to explain what’s not allowed,
Southern Africa (COMESA) which Johnston FY2020, a record Johnston said was achiev- but be prepared to explain what is allowed.
said highlighted WA’s commitment to being a able because of the robust nature of the State’s “And, it needs to be consistent in the appli-
genuine partner of African jurisdictions. regulatory environment. cation of those rules. We invite the Common-
“We can further support each other by con- “Our success is underpinned by a strong wealth Government – which I have done in a
tinuing to develop and share our scientific and legal framework; a proven mineral and petro- letter to the Treasurer – to set out what the pa-
regulatory knowledge, and systems of respon- leum tenement system; a stable and welcom- rameters are for managing foreign investment
sible and sustainable resources development,” ing investment environment; and a world-class from China or other countries.
he said. services sector,” he said. “I accept state-owned enterprises are in a
Education and training is at the heart of the “WA’s clear and consistent regulatory frame- different category but direct investment bene-
MoU with WA providing access to its high- work is essential for providing industry with the fits recipient as well as donor countries and we
quality institutions. certainty required to make investment deci- would therefore expect the Commonwealth
“This important agreement [COMESA sions. Our mining approvals process, which Government to support inbound foreign invest-
MoU] continues to provide a framework of co- takes into account the impact on the environ- ment.”
operation for capacity building. A key feature ment, occupational health and safety and oth- – Dominic Piper
of our MoU is the development of training and er land users, is critical for ensuring a sustain-

Mako primed for 2021 If its not INVAL, it’s not Invincible

ako Gold Ltd’s success at the Napie told delegates at Africa Down Under via “The plan right now is that the first target
Mproject in Cote d’Ivoire continues with livestream from Brisbane. will be Tchaga East where we will put three
the company confirming another shallow, Following Ledwidge’s presentation, the [RC] holes in and 1,500m of drilling into that.
high-grade gold zone at the Tchaga prospect. company reported results from Tchaga, in- We are currently doing an IP programme
Assays released at the time of print includ- cluding; NARC184: 9m @ 1.17 g/t gold from on Gogbala so as soon as we have that fin-
ed one result grading up to 143.6 g/t gold. 13m, 5m @ 2.16 g/t from 27m, 9m @ 22.73 ished, we will be doing another 5,000m [RC]
The assays were from a further four holes g/t from 36m, including 2m @ 92.95 g/t from drill programme on that.”
drilled as part of a 10,000m drilling pro- 36m (including 1m @ 143.6 g/t), with aver- Mako hasn’t followed up on the previous
gramme at Tchaga, which is focused on ex- ages of 32m @ 7.1 g/t Au from 13m to 45m; wide-spaced drilling completed at the “blue-
tensions to an intercept of 13m @ 20.82 g/t. NARC182: 15m @ 3.59 g/t from 16m, includ- sky” Gogbala, Tchaga East and Tchaga
“This is a nice intercept we announced ing 1m @ 31.66 g/t from 26m; NARC185: North prospects, and ever the geologist,
a couple of months ago – 13m @ 20.82 4m @ 14.26 g/t from 33m, including 1m @ Ledwidge is eager to test them out.
g/t gold – and under that 13m there is 9m 51.11 g/t from 33m. “We are very excited about going back
at significant mineralisation, so it is not one Drilling remains ongoing to extend the there, we haven’t drilled that since 2018 but
of those one-hit wonders where you hit 1m strike length of the new high-grade zone at still got very good results before we had the
and the rest is a little bit less. There are actu- Tchaga, while a second rig was due to start IP interpreted. The 5,000m drill programme
ally nice, wide intercepts and we are getting drilling the highly prospective regional tar- is going to be a good benefit to us in addition
that consistency in all our drill programmes,” gets – Gogbala, Tchaga East and Tchaga to Tchaga,” he said.
Mako managing director Peter Ledwidge North.
– Mark Andrews

Page 46 DeCeMBeR 2020 - JaNUaRY 2021 aUSTRaLIa’S PaYDIRT