Mining in Burundi
Encyclopedia
Burundi
is a producer of columbium(niobium) and tantalum
ore, tin ore, and tungsten ore, and some deposits of gold
which are designated for export. Burundi has resources of copper
, cobalt
, nickel
, feldspar
, phosphate
rock, quartzite
, and rare reserves of uranium
, and vanadium
. The country is also a producer of limestone
, peat
, sand
and gravel
for domestic consumption and as building materials. As of 2005, manufacturing accounted for 8% of the country's gross domestic product
.
National gold production increased to 3,905 kg in 2005 from 3,229 kg in 2004 increasing dramatically from just 415 kg in 2001 because of higher gold prices. Gold reportedly accounted for more than 90% of the value of Burundi’s total mineral production in 2005. Machanga Ltd. of Uganda and more recently the Burundi Mining Corporation were responsible for mining much of the country's primary gold reserves which are concentrated in Muyinga Province
in the north-east of the country.
Columbium (niobium) and tantalum
were mined by Asyst Mines, Comptoirs Miniers de Burundi S.A., Hamza, and Habonimana but the production of columbite-tantalite ore decreased considerably to 23,356 kg in 2004 from 72,441 kg in 2002 because low world market prices saw a slump in the demand for tantalum
oxide in 2004. In 2005, production increased to 42,592 kg and has continued to rise again and columbite-tantalite production accounted for 5% of the value of Burundi’s mineral production as of 2005. An Australian company AuArgosy Minerals Incorporated was proposing to develop mines in the country but has had its Mining Convention and licences suspended by the government due to failure to meet commitments.
Small quantities of tungsten
and tin
but only account for 3% of Burundi's total mineral production according to the Burundi Ministry of Energy and Mines
The Office National de la Tourbe a branch of the government is responsible for peat
production which is extracted notably in the Akanyara Valley near Buyongwe
and in 2005 unmined resources of peat were stated by the Burundian government to total around 36 million metric tons.
However Burundi has no resources of coal
, natural gas
, or petroleum
meaning that electricity production in the country was very problematic. Hydroelectric power stations now account for most of the country’s electricity production as they do not have the natural reserves to produce it. .
Burundi
Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...
is a producer of columbium(niobium) and tantalum
Tantalum
Tantalum is a chemical element with the symbol Ta and atomic number 73. Previously known as tantalium, the name comes from Tantalus, a character in Greek mythology. Tantalum is a rare, hard, blue-gray, lustrous transition metal that is highly corrosion resistant. It is part of the refractory...
ore, tin ore, and tungsten ore, and some deposits of gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
which are designated for export. Burundi has resources of copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
, cobalt
Cobalt
Cobalt is a chemical element with symbol Co and atomic number 27. It is found naturally only in chemically combined form. The free element, produced by reductive smelting, is a hard, lustrous, silver-gray metal....
, nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
, feldspar
Feldspar
Feldspars are a group of rock-forming tectosilicate minerals which make up as much as 60% of the Earth's crust....
, phosphate
Phosphate
A phosphate, an inorganic chemical, is a salt of phosphoric acid. In organic chemistry, a phosphate, or organophosphate, is an ester of phosphoric acid. Organic phosphates are important in biochemistry and biogeochemistry or ecology. Inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in...
rock, quartzite
Quartzite
Quartzite is a hard metamorphic rock which was originally sandstone. Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to gray, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink...
, and rare reserves of uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
, and vanadium
Vanadium
Vanadium is a chemical element with the symbol V and atomic number 23. It is a hard, silvery gray, ductile and malleable transition metal. The formation of an oxide layer stabilizes the metal against oxidation. The element is found only in chemically combined form in nature...
. The country is also a producer of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
, sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
and gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
for domestic consumption and as building materials. As of 2005, manufacturing accounted for 8% of the country's gross domestic product
Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living....
.
National gold production increased to 3,905 kg in 2005 from 3,229 kg in 2004 increasing dramatically from just 415 kg in 2001 because of higher gold prices. Gold reportedly accounted for more than 90% of the value of Burundi’s total mineral production in 2005. Machanga Ltd. of Uganda and more recently the Burundi Mining Corporation were responsible for mining much of the country's primary gold reserves which are concentrated in Muyinga Province
Muyinga Province
Muyinga is one of the 17 provinces of Burundi....
in the north-east of the country.
Columbium (niobium) and tantalum
Tantalum
Tantalum is a chemical element with the symbol Ta and atomic number 73. Previously known as tantalium, the name comes from Tantalus, a character in Greek mythology. Tantalum is a rare, hard, blue-gray, lustrous transition metal that is highly corrosion resistant. It is part of the refractory...
were mined by Asyst Mines, Comptoirs Miniers de Burundi S.A., Hamza, and Habonimana but the production of columbite-tantalite ore decreased considerably to 23,356 kg in 2004 from 72,441 kg in 2002 because low world market prices saw a slump in the demand for tantalum
Tantalum
Tantalum is a chemical element with the symbol Ta and atomic number 73. Previously known as tantalium, the name comes from Tantalus, a character in Greek mythology. Tantalum is a rare, hard, blue-gray, lustrous transition metal that is highly corrosion resistant. It is part of the refractory...
oxide in 2004. In 2005, production increased to 42,592 kg and has continued to rise again and columbite-tantalite production accounted for 5% of the value of Burundi’s mineral production as of 2005. An Australian company AuArgosy Minerals Incorporated was proposing to develop mines in the country but has had its Mining Convention and licences suspended by the government due to failure to meet commitments.
Small quantities of tungsten
Tungsten
Tungsten , also known as wolfram , is a chemical element with the chemical symbol W and atomic number 74.A hard, rare metal under standard conditions when uncombined, tungsten is found naturally on Earth only in chemical compounds. It was identified as a new element in 1781, and first isolated as...
and tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
but only account for 3% of Burundi's total mineral production according to the Burundi Ministry of Energy and Mines
Burundi Ministry of Energy and Mines
The Burundi Ministry of Energy and Mines is responsible for monitoring Mining in Burundi....
The Office National de la Tourbe a branch of the government is responsible for peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
production which is extracted notably in the Akanyara Valley near Buyongwe
Buyongwe
Buyongwe is a town in northern Burundi. It is located in Ngozi Province.Located near the Akanyara Valley, the area is known for its peat and mineral extraction...
and in 2005 unmined resources of peat were stated by the Burundian government to total around 36 million metric tons.
However Burundi has no resources of coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
, natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
, or petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
meaning that electricity production in the country was very problematic. Hydroelectric power stations now account for most of the country’s electricity production as they do not have the natural reserves to produce it. .