Invest In Minerals and Mining
The Mining Sector has been the mainstay of the Liberian economy, with iron ore leading the way. Revenues from iron ore accounted for nearly half of the country’s earnings prior to 1990. Since 2006 to date, the sector has attracted billions of dollars in investments from key players including ArcelorMittal, Bea Mountain, China Union, Liberty Gold, Hummingbird Resources, MNG Gold Liberia, Putu Iron Ore, amongst others.
There are still vast stretches of unexplored and unexploited areas in iron ore, including the Wologizi Mountain. Opportunities also abound in gold, diamonds, and the rehabilitation of latent rubber plantations. Artisanal diamond and gold mining present another opportunity for potential investors, as Liberians currently dominate this sector. Following the lifting of the UN ban on Liberian diamonds and accession to the Kimberly Process, Liberian diamonds are now accepted in international markets and socially acceptable to consumers. In light of this progress, the Israeli Diamond Institute (IDI) has committed its expertise and resources towards helping the government of Liberia develop the diamond sector.
Potential investors have a plethora of choices, as Liberia is endowed with a variety of mineral resources, both higher-value metals and industrial minerals. Gold, diamonds, and iron ore are the principal mineral resources occurring in ancient greenstone belts in many parts of the country. Excellent potentials that are currently untapped are platinum, uranium and niobium, and base metals such as nickel, cobalt, tin, lead, and manganese. Other industrial rocks and minerals such as sulfur, phosphates, clays (kyanite), granite, silica sand, heavy mineral sands (rutile and ilmenite), and diabase/dolerite are also known to exist in both small and large quantities.
The government is committed to attracting and enabling private sector investments for the development of mineral deposits, particularly iron ore mines, and to promote new investments in the exploration and development of gold, diamonds, base metals, and other mineral deposits. Geological information and mineral data will be made readily and widely accessible to both small and large scale prospective investors.
Mineral Resources & Mining
Liberia’s mineral industry is dominated by iron ore mining. In addition to the proven large deposits of iron ore, the country has substantial diamond and gold deposits as well as good indications of manganese, bauxite, uranium, zinc, and lead deposits. Minerals are exported in raw or semi-finished forms and account for nearly one-fifth of the total export earnings of the country. Large-scale international companies hold mineral development agreements for mineral operations in Liberia.
Gold and diamond deposits, primarily exploited via alluvial and artisanal mining, are widespread in most parts of the country. Of late, the Ministry of Mines and Energy has adopted a posture to attracting medium to large-scale operations to exploit these minerals. Some investors have taken advantage of the Government’s offer in this area.
Categories of Mining Activities in Liberia
- Artisanal/small-scale miners (ASM)
- Medium size domestic enterprises
- Large-scale mining, and exploration companies
Some Mining Operations in Liberia
- AmLib United Minerals Inc. / MNG Minerals
- Aureus Mining / MNG
- Hummingbird Resources Ltd
- Arcelor Mittal Liberia
- China Union
- Bio-Chico
- Jonah Capital
- Western Cluster Ltd.
Mineral Sector Investment Requires One of These License Types
- Class C license is valid for 1 year and only artisanal
- Class B license is valid for 5 years
- Class A license is valid for 25 years or more – you need a Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) before getting a Class A mining license, while, an exploration license is needed before getting MDA
- Trading & Dealing licenses are also available
