Zambia, already Africa's top copper producer, has found more deposits in the northern part of the country and will invite foreign firms to conduct further feasibility studies prior to mining, a minister said on Wednesday.
Mines and Minerals Development Minister Maxwell Mwale said more copper and manganese had been discovered in Luapula province, which borders the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and the government had already issued some licences for the mining of manganese.
Mr Mwale said the Japanese International Corporation Agency (Jica) had financed geological mapping of areas with copper and the process had been extended to the nearby Northern Province.
"We are trying to impress as many mining companies (as possible) to invest in Luapula province. We have huge resources and the prospects of mining are very bright," Mwale said.
Mwale said Zambia planned to geologically map 45% of the country where there was mineral wealth in order to invite more investors into mining.
"The potential (for more discoveries) of minerals is very high. We also have cobalt, which is currently not tapped," Mwale said.
Copper mining is the economic lifeblood of this southern African country of 12-million people, where authorities say copper production will rise to over 600 000 tons this year from 569 887 tons in 2008.
Source: Mining Weekly/Reuters
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