Mining in the Republic of Congo
| Mining in the Republic of the Congo | |
|---|---|
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Position of Republic of the Congo within Africa highlighted
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| Location | |
| Country |
 Republic of the Congo
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| Regulatory authority | |
| Authority | Ministry of Mines and Geology |
| Website | Congo Portal |
| Production | |
| Commodity | |
| Value |
 ?? |
| Employees |
60,000 |
| Year | 2011 |
??Oil and gas dominate the extraction industries of the Republic of the Congo (French: République du Congo), also referred to as Congo-Brazzaville. The petroleum industry accounted for 89% of the country’s exports in 2010. Among African crude oil producers in 2010, The Congo ranked seventh. Nearly all of the country's hydrocarbons were produced off-shore. The minerals sector is administered by the Department of Mines and Geology. Presently no major mining activities are underway, although there are some small-scale domestic operations. However, the country does have numerous large-scale undeveloped resources. The country has recently attracted a strong influx of international companies seeking to tap into the vast mineral wealth.
As of 2012:
During the colonial period, the Republic of the Congo saw small-scale mechanized mining activities. During the 1960s French exploration companies identified vast evaporative zones containing sylvinite and carnallite mineralisation covering the Congo Basin.
In 1959 COMILOG commenced manganese extraction operations near the town of Moanda in Gabon, just across the Congolese border. To be able to export the manganese COMILOG built a 285 km railway line from the Congo town of Mbinda south to where it join the Congo-Ocean railway. Ultimately trains go on to the coastal port of Pointe Noire. Although manganese is no longer moved by rail, the COMILOG line remains in use, with weekly passenger service. Conveniently, the COMIL line runs through Mayoko near the high-grade iron ore, which any mining syndicate that might want to set up new new commercial operations would surely find convenient.
From independence (1960) to 1985 industrial expansion in the mining sector was limited to the potash company, Makolo (previously Holle) and the polymetals of Mfouati District, Boko-Songho District and Mindouli. Artisanal mining was confined to exploitation of precious metals, notably gold in Kellé, Kakamoeka District, Mayoko District and in Souanké.
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