REPUBLIC ISLAMIC OF MAURITANIA

INVESTING IN THE MINING & OIL & GAS SECTORS

I. OVERVIEW

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 Mauritania: Overview

Major deposits: Gold, copper and iron ore and reserves of oil
and gas, including the Chinguetti Oil field. Oil production
started in February 2006 and it has proven reserves of 600
million barrels
Border countries:Algeria and Western Sahara ( to the North),
to the East by Mali and to the South by Senegal. The country is
bordered completely by the Atlantic Ocean.
Land Mass : 1.0307.000 km2 Capital : Nouakchott
Population: 3.359.185 people (2012).The Demographical
growth rate is 2.3%
Official Language: Arabic, but French is used as the
language of business
Religion : Mauritania is an socially democratic Islamic
Republic.
Currency: Ouguiya (UM). Exchange rate (October 2013)
392,83 UM = 1 Euro & 299,24 UM =1 USD$.
Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mining
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 Mauritania: Overview

GDP Per Person (2012 Esti.):

US$ 1 310

Inflation rate: 4% in 2011

Contribution of the Extractive

Industries to GDP 25% (2011) Projection of FDI in $ million
(IMF)

Foreign Direct Investments are

growing

Estimated GDP Growth : 2010-

2013 : 6 %

GDP Growth % (IMF)

Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mining

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II.Political Context

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 Political Context

The Government has been democratically elected

Multiplicity of media and civil society
Adherence to the EITI member countries ( 2005), country
conforming to the principles of EITI ( 2012)
Stability of institutions and security

The Government has made the strategic decision to

modernize Mauritania with the following objectives:
Promoting good governance
Enhancing the government performance
Increasing the efficiency of public policies
Establishing the foundations of a modern State

Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mines

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III. Organisation of the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy
& Mines

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 The central administration of the Ministry of Petroleum,
Energy & Mines includes :

The Ministers Cabinet, the General Secretariat and the

Central Directions.
I The Ministers Cabinet:: 2 Heads of Mission, 5 Technical
Advisors, Internal Inspector and a Personal Secretariat.
The following organisations & companies report to the
technical and administrative supervision of the Ministry of
Petroleum, Energy & Mines: National Mauritanian Hydrocarbons
Company (SMH) , The National Agency of Renewable Energy
(ANADER) , Mauritanian Gaz Company (SOMAGAZ) Mauritanian
Electricity Company (SOMELEC), Mauritanian Company of Refining
Industries (SOMIR), Mauritanian Office of Geological Research
(OMRG), National Industrial and Mining Company (SNIM), The
Committee of the Mauritanian Mining School (CEM) .
The Ministry monitors the good running of the: Agency for
Rural Electrification (ADER), National Hydrocarbons Commission
(CNHY), The Company for the Management of Petroleum
Installations (GIP), Mauritanian Company for the Storage of
Petroleum Products (MEPP), Project to Support Petroleum
8 Management (PAGEP), Project for the Institutional Reinforcement of
IV. The reforms

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 Mining Sector
The Mining Code
Mining Code 2008/2009 updated 2012 with the following
objectives :
Provide competitive advantages to the investors in the mining
sector
Establishing the norm first come first served
The Mining Code is completed by a new Standard Mining
Convention (2012) which guarantees the stability of the fiscal
system throughout the exploration period
Exploration Phase :
License awarded (by Cabinet) of surface of 1.000 km to a
company incorporated in Mauritania with sufficient technical and
financial capacities.
Guaranty for good execution of the work program and prior
payment of fees and rights ($6.000);
ofPayment
Ministry of progressive
Petroleum, Energy and Mining surface fee year by year from $6,5/km
10 (first year) to $80/km (9thyear)
 Mining Sector
Mining Code (Continued)
Exploitation Phase:
License awarded to a company incorporated in Mauritania for a
period of thirty years and renewable many times for ten years.
State participation in the capital with a 10% free equity and an
option foracquiring a maximum of 10% cash participation in the
exploitation company.

Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mining

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 Mining Sector

Applicati Award
Applicati Fiscal Regime :
on Permit on
Deduction regime according to practice in the minin
Competitive rates

Exploitati Exemption during the first 3 years of production

Assessmen on
3 Tax exemption on dividends that are reinvested
t
years Permit
1/4 A simplified tax system for subcontractors working w
mining operators
3 Assessmen
t
years
1/4

3 Assessmen
years Return of t
Permit Installation Phase Production Phase
2 years

EXPLORATION EXPLOITATION PHASE

PHASE
Max 9 years 30
years

Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mining

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 Petroleum Sector

New legal framework in 2010 updated in 2011

New Standard Exploration Production Agreement 2011
Period of exploration: 10 years maximum divided in 3
phases
Period of operation : 25/30 years, renewable 10 years
Recovery cost with a rate to be negotiated
The applied taxation concerns the Industrial and
Commercial Profits
No taxes Import/Export for oil operations
A simplified tax system adopted for the foreign service
providers working with the oil operators
10% of State participation free equity starting from
exploration managed by SMH (NOC). Option foracquiring a
maximum of 10% cash participation.
Ministry of Petroleeum, Energy and Mining
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 Oil Sector

Applicati Award
Exploitatio
on Contract n
Authorizati
Estimated recoverable reserves
on
Program and implementation
Standard
schedule
Production
Assessmen
Estimated investment
Exploration Sub
t Funding arrangements
Contract phase 1
Geological Enviromental Impact Assessment
1/4
Studies Rehabilitation program
Geophysical
Sub Assessmen
Studies t
phase 2
Drilling
1/4
Sharing
Production based Sub Assessmen
on the R factor phase 3 t
End
Fiel Fiel
Contract
Development Operation

NEGOCIATION EXPLORATION EXPLOITATION PHASE

PHASE
Max 10 years 25/ 30
years

Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mining

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 Petroleum Sector
Downstream: Hydrocarbons Code
Legal framework adopted in 2002
activities of import, export, refining, storage, racking,
transportation, distribution and marketing of refined
hydrocarbons
Activities subject to license
Revision to enhance the framework and to enable a PPP to
rehabilitate, develop and manage storage capacities

Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mining

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 Oil and Gas Blocks in Mauritania ( October 2012)

Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mining

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V. Development of Key Infrastructure

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 Improvement of the Factors of Production Costs
A major investment program in the infrastructure sector has been
developed by the Government, with the aim of significantly improving
the conditions of development in the Private sector :
Establishment of a Free Zone in Nouadhibou (starting 2012)
Iron Ore Port in Nouadhibou, extension of the Commercial Port of
Nouadhibou and the Extension of Port of Nouakchott (2013)
New International Airport (2014)
Water supply: Aftout Saheli Project 200 000 m3 per d ay (2010)
Energy: launch of Gas Power Plant project and extension of the
electricity network, Renewable Energy (15 MW Solar and 30 to 40 MW
wind projects)
Roads : opening up of the valley and the northern area with the
construction of secondary roads,
Education: Akjoujt Mining School, Mining Technology Training Center
Akjoujt, University Campus ,
Telecommunications: optical submarine cable ACE (2012)
Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mining
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VI.Investments

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 VII. Important Assets
An effective Mobilization of Private Operators

Mining: more than 300 Exploration Licenses and 12 Exploitation

Licenses
Iron Ore : Snim/GuelbII, Xstrata/Askaf, Bumi/Tamagot,
Gold : Expansion of Tasiast Gold Mine
Granite : Joint Venture with SNIM
Quartz : 2 exploitation permits
Phosphate : Bofal Indo Mining Company
Oil & Gas: 1 PSC Exploitation Phase Petronas
Tullow Oil : 1 Onshore bloc et 1 Offshore (deepwater)
Total E&P: 1 Onshore bloc et 1 Offshore (deepwater)
Kosmos Energy: 3 Offshore Blocs (deepwater)
Chariot Oil & Gas: 1 Offshore Bloc

Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mining

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VIII. SNIM & TASIAST

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 SNIM
The New Vision of SNIM is to guarantee its integration into the
Top 5 worldwide exporters of Iron Ore from now until 2025 with
an annual production of 40 million tonnes and a cost of
production that does
SNIM: Exploits not exceed
essentially two $40/T
types of iron ore in the region of Tiris
Zemmour in the North of Mauritania: the hematite mineral and the
magnetite mineral.
Hematite: The major deposits of hematite actually in production are
T014 ((Kdia) and MHaoudatt . They provide 60% of SNIMs total
production.
Magnetite: The Guelb El Rhein, the only deposit of magnetite in
exploitation at this time, contains several hundred million tonnes of
proven reserves. The Guelbs Factory where these minerals are treated,
has an annual capacity of 4.5 million tonnes. All mining operations are
carried out by SNIM themselves, research, pit optimisation, earth moving,
ship-loading, rolling, training, explosives, rail transport, maintenance etc.
The Guelb II project includes essentially the construction and
equipment of a second iron ore magnetite enriching factory. It mobilises
an investment of nearly 750 million USD and covers: the extension of the
existing mine, the construction of an mineral enrichment factory with an
annual capacity of 4MT, the extension of the Central Electric, the
extension
Ministry of Petroleum, and
Energy andmodernisation
Mining of installations and existing annexes, putting
22 into exploitation a water capturing field and a network of water
 SNIM
In October 2013, announced the results of their exploration
at Tizerghaf, situated 40 km north of Zouerate, they
evaluated probable resources of 830 million tonnes
( inferred) of magnetite iron ore
The PDM is an ambitious program of which the cost is about 1 billion
USD. This program will focus on.
The modernisation of SNIMs existing infrastructure
The increase by a significant amount of the production capacity of the
Company.
The 8 components of the PDM are:
Guelbs II Factory, New Mineral Port (NPM), Modernisation and Rail
Maintenance (MMV), Modernisation of the Communication System
(MSC), Modifying the Handling of TO14 (MMT), Modernisation of the
Zouerate Electrical Network (MRE), the extension of staff accommodation
and Rehabilitation of hotels, new professional training centre of Zouerate
(NCFPZ)
SNIM is also involved in developing iron ore resources with partners
including the following projects:
Project El Aouj ( Xstrata), Project Tazadit 1 ( MinMetals), Project Leagarib
Ministry of Petroleum , Energy and
Mining
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 IX. Tasiast
Kinross acquired with a 100% stake, the gold of mine of Tasiast on
17 September 2010, after having acquired Red Back Mining Inc.
The mining has a very high potential, with a vast gold system,
which is largely unexplored.
Kinross-Tasiast finalised a framework study for the expansion of the
Tasiast mine, based on the period of 16 years. For the first 8 years of
effective exploitation, the average annual production should reach
1.5 milion ounces of gold, with an average sales prices from $480 -
$520, with a quality estimated at about 2g/t and average rate of
recovery at 93%
This is an open cast mine, producing 8000 tonnes per day with the
current factory and with an output of 60,000 tonnes per day
envisaged after the expansion project.
As of June 2011, the proven and probable mineral reserves of the
Tasiast mine are estimated at 7.6 million ounces. The measured
mineral resources et indices were 9.1 million ounces, and the
mineral resources presumed at 4.6 millions ounces. The Tasiast
Mine will exploit a deposit of 30 tonnes of gold. Tasiast is the first
gold producing mine in the Republic Islamic of Mauritania
Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mines
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 X. Current Status and Perspectives for the
Development of the Mining Sector

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 Geological Coverage : Total coverage of Mauritania: 1/500.000
Coverage of 52% of the Territory to 1/200.000- Format: SHP,PDF

Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mining

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 D-Reguibat: Archean
and Birimian formations:
with mineralisations of
uranium, iron, gold and
copper...)
C-Mauritanides:
metamorphic, volcanic &
sedimentary formations
with copper, gold, iron,
beryl, manganese and
nickel mineralisation.)
B-Coastal: formations
Paleozoico-Cenozoic
formations with
mineralisations of
Ilmnite, monazite,
zircon, phosphates, salt
)
A-Taoudeni: deposits
of Proterozoic superior to
Paleozoic, with
mineralisations of copper,
gold, zinc, uraniumetc

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 Potentialities: Coastal Basin
1. Titanium/Zirconium:
Jreida,Tanit,Lemsid, Cap Timiris
2. Peat: 23 known occurrences in the
Coastal Basin with more than 3 million
m3 reserves of peat discovered over an
area of 5000km2
3. Gypsum: One of the largest deposits of
gypsum in the world, situated at
Sebkha N'Drhamcha between 50 and
100 km to the North/North-East of
Nouakchott, 9 billion metric tonnes
4. Phosphates: Resources identified of
more than 130 Mt with content 20%
P2O5, in the Bofal-Loubeira Zone,
easily exploitable, close to main roads
and with access to the Ocean.

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 Potentialities: Mauritanides
1. Copper: Guelb Mogrein Deposit (IOCG),
known since Neolithic times, mined by First
Quantum/MCM, production (2011) 35,281
tonnes of copper & 62,938 troy ounces of gold,
reserves 32.06 million tonnes 1.09% copper
and 0.79 g/t gold.
2. Iron Ore: Large region favourably for both
hematite, magnetite and the mineralisation of
Geothite at Kaouate, Tamagot, Legleitate and
Idjibiten
3. Gold: several deposits at Fra Agharghar
(Vararate), Kadiar, Mbout and Bouzraibia. The
majority of prospective sites are Greenfield
4. Barite: Barite discovered in several places in
the Mauritanides notably at Bouzraibia
5. REE (Terres Rares): exist in the region of
Bounaga

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 Potentialities: Taoudeni Basin
1. Copper: Sedimentary Copper in
the Neo-proterozoic-Cambrian,
continental sediments of
Taoudeni Basin, notably found in
the Char and Teniagouri groups
2. Or: Aluvial Deposit, red bed
type
3. Uranium: non compliant
uranium, sandstone type, red-
bed type, and associated with
phosphates
4. Lead,Zinc
Potentialities: Tindouf Basin
Iron Ore: Phanerozoic oolitic
type
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 Potentialities: Reguibat Ridge
1. Gold: Orogenic and hydro-thermal, deposits of
gold and paleoplacers
2. Uranium: Large deposits
a) Bir en Nar 1.33Mt @ 704ppm U3O8
containing 2.06Mlbs U3O8
b) A238 45.2 Mt @ 235 ppm U3O8
containing 23.4 Mlbs U3O8
c) Aura Calcrete 68.7 Mt @ 300 ppm
U3O8 containing t 50.2 Mlbs U3O8
1. Diamants: Discovery of a kimberlitic dyke at
Maqteir (2000), more40 kimberlites discovered
in the country( 2005-11)
2. Ornamental Stones: Amsaga, Tijirit and Tasiast
Terrains Zednes regions
3. Nickel, Lithium and Beryl: Occurrences of
nickel present in the Paloprotrozoic, Beryl is
found in Iguilid Lithium found in several places
principally at the Chambi belt green stone, Zone
Nich Sebkhet, the Tijirit belt as well as the North
East part of the Amsaga Complex.

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 Honour Fraternity - Justice

Thank you very much for

listening!!

Please come and meet us in the Islamic

Republic of Mauritania!
Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mining
Route de la plage rond-point Sabah, Nouakchott Mauritanie,
BP : 4921
Tl. 00(222) 45259515 Fax : 00 (222) 45255250
Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mining
www.mauripem.com
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