By Dr Nicolaas C Steenkamp
Under the turmoil of the past lies the potential for a wealth of natural resources.
The mere mention of Liberia has conjured up images of war and instability over the past decades. Unfortunately, the prolonged periods of political instability have led to the country’s geology and mineral resources having been poorly described to date and the mining sector has not nearly developed to the potential it could have, with only 24 known projects.
The landscape is characterised by mostly flat to rolling coastal plains that contain mangroves and swamps, which rise to a rolling plateau and low mountains in the northeast. The country has a predominantly tropical climate. Agriculture in Liberia is a major sector of the country’s economy worth 38.8% of GDP, employing more than 70% of the population and providing valuable export. The main export crops are natural rubber, rice, cassava, bananas, palm oil and timber, but these activities have had a devastating effect on the forests of Liberia.
Liberia Flag. Image by natanaelginting on Freepik
Furthermore, the country is still in the process of rebuilding after years of civil war that destroyed most of the infrastructure. Efforts are underway to construct and rebuild the main roads, railway, harbour and related projects. The country is still largely dependent on imports of most goods and consumables and is also still struggling to supply sufficient power to drive development and industrial ambitions. A boost to the economy lies in the use of its rail infrastructure to move iron ore from Guinea to the export port.
The mining laws are patterned on the Australian system and include the Mining and Minerals Law of 2000; the Mineral Policy of 1 March 2010; environmental protection guidelines for mineral exploration and exploitation issued by the National Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia and managed by the Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy (MLME). It has become mandatory to conduct an environmental impact assessment including social impacts of all mineral exploration projects undertaken by private companies as part of their ESG commitments. In April 2009, Spatial Dimension won, on an open tender, a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded project to implement a Mining Cadastre Information Management System for the MLME.
Liberia forms part of the West African Craton, mainly part of the segment known as the Leo or Man terrane. The rocks forming this crystalline shield consist of an older series of granulitic and migmatitic gneisses and amphibolites with subordinate granitoids. Remnants of slightly younger supracrustal rocks of sedimentary and volcanic origin are aligned predominantly in a SW-NE direction. Phanerozoic sediments are only exposed along a narrow coastal strip of the country.
Liberia’s iron ore reserves at grades of 30-67% Fe form part of the large iron ore deposits located in West Africa. Two main types of mineralisation occur: high grade ores (<60% Fe) consisting mainly of hematite and low-grade ores (30-40% Fe) composed mainly of magnetite. A third variety is of medium grade (40-60% Fe), which is usually made up of a mixture of hematite and magnetite. Liberia’s iron ore deposits are hosted by Precambrian itabirites (BIF). High and medium grade ores are the result of laterisation with consequent enrichment of iron. The site with the highest reserves, the Mount Nimba area, is the most developed operation. ArcelorMittal was in the process of developing the Mount Gangra mine near the town of Yekepa. The mined iron ore is transported to nearby Tokadeh and then by rail to Buchanan for eventual shipment out of Liberia.
Liberia’s primary diamond potential appears low, with known kimberlite intrusions that have not proven economic. Numerous alluvial diggings are known from river and marsh gravels, mostly close to the border with Sierra Leone. There may also be a potential for marine offshore placer deposits. The Kimberley Process ban on diamonds from Liberia has also been recently lifted.
A number of primary lode gold occurrences are known in Liberia’s banded iron formation (BIF) and in Birrimian rocks in the south of the country. Numerous alluvial diggings are undertaken by mainly artisanal miners in the west. The gold boom has, however, led to extensive damage to the forests and river systems where washing activities take place. International companies have recently started exploration with Hamak Gold reporting ‘encouraging’ results from its maiden three-hole diamond drilling programme at the Ziatoyah prospect at the company’s 100%-held Nimba permit during December 2022. Pasofino Gold also filed its feasibility study for the Dugbe gold project during August 2022 on Canada’s System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval.
Bauxite is found in the north and south-eastern parts of the country, the total reserves of which are yet to be determined. It has also been noted that up to 553 150 tonnes of barite at depths of up to 150 metres have been surveyed within the country’s Gibi District.
Minor sub-economic to uneconomical occurrences of certain commodities include baryte, kyenite and bauxite. Silica sands and ceramic clays are also locally mined. In 2004, Liberia began exploration for offshore oil, but no notable development has occurred on this front.
The West African country of Liberia has had a very challenging past and has unfortunately become synonymous with war, corruption and turmoil. The country, however, has the potential to develop on par with its neighbouring countries, if an effort is made to stabilise and capitalise on its natural resources and potential.
About the Author
Dr Nicolaas C Steenkamp is an independent consultant, specialising in geological, geotechnical and geometallurgical projects and mining project management. He has over two decades of industry experience with global exposure. ncs.contract@gmail.com