The Ivorian government awarded six mining exploration permits to five companies on Wednesday 14 October, for a term of four years, according to the statement from the Council of Ministers. Five authorisations concern gold, while the sixth covers copper and nickel.
Awale Resources obtains two separate gold permits. The first covers the departments of Gbéléban and Minignan, and the second lies only within the department of Minignan.
Etruscan Resources Côte d’Ivoire is authorised to explore for gold in the departments of Bondoukou and Tanda. Smart Mining Group receives a permit for the same metal at M’Bahiakro and Bouaké, while that of Tietto Minerals Côte d’Ivoire concerns Gagnoa and Soubré.
The permit held by Switch Metals Côte d’Ivoire covers copper and nickel in the departments of Ouaninou and Touba. It is the only authorisation in this series devoted to those two metals.
These titles govern the exploration phase. The Mining Code provides that a holder may apply for a mining permit if a deposit is discovered within its area, provided it has met its obligations. The existence of the deposit must be established by a feasibility study in order to obtain that mining permit.