Maintaining the oil business

In terms of oil activities, Gabon practises a policy that clearly encourages foreign investment.
The trading results are positive: in 2001, exports represented 1 508.7 billion CFAFr. Investments dropped in 2004 to level off at 2.35 billion CFAFr.


Stepping up manganese extraction

Manganese is mined by COMILOG, the controlling interest in which is held by the Eramet group; the state and private Gabonese investors hold 30% of the share.


Developing the mining activity

Following the different mining exploration works, 900 varied ore deposits and potential sites have been listed, including the following:

• Iron: the deposits in the Bélinga district in the north-east of Gabon are the largest. In 2003, the geological reserves were estimated at more than one billion tons with a 60% iron content.
  
  
• Diamonds: diamonds seem to be extremely widespread across Gabon. Diamond prospecting has already been carried out in a quarter of the country, meaning that very large areas have yet to be explored, mainly in the north of the country and the Chaillu massif (central south).
  
  
• Niobium and phosphates: a niobium deposit has been discovered in Mabounié in the Moyen-Ogooué province, upstream from Lambaréné. The phosphate reserve is estimated at 140 million tons.
  
  
• Lead/zinc: in the Nyanga syncline in Kroussou. Mineralisation with average contents between 8 and 10%. Reserves estimated at 6,600 tons.
  
  
• Also talc, barytes, potassium and magnesium salts.

Just some of the opportunities waiting to be snapped up by investors, which the Gabonese government would like to convince and work alongside in extracting these new mining resources in a rational and dynamic way.