A delegation from Black Gold Mining (Benshangul-Gumuz region, Ethiopia) visited Saint Petersburg Mining University.
The head of the corporation, Ms. Meseret Tsahai, spoke about the company's extensive experience in coal mining in the country and how, thanks to the activities of the largest mining company in the region, Ethiopia became independent of foreign coal supplies.
She also presented a project about her company’s gold-bearing site, covering an area of 1,500 square kilometers, which is part of the "African Gold Belt." Currently, artisanal "prospecting" mining is being conducted there. The estimated reserves can be inferred from a notable fact: in the villages located in this area, each family collects 3-5 kilograms of gold annually.
Additionally, lithium has been discovered on a 40-square-kilometer site. Preliminary samples suggest the possible presence of accompanying rare-earth metals. However, the company lacks the resources to assess the profitability of mining on its own and, consequently, has no serious infrastructure in place. After working on several projects with the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Black Gold Mining became convinced of the reliability of its partner and, upon its recommendation, sought consultations with the Mining University.
The rector of the Mining University, Vladimir Litvinenko, shared with the guests the principles of the "Consortium ‘Minerals of Africa’," which was organized at the university during the July 2023 Russia-Africa summit. It is no secret that following the change in power to pro-Western politicians in several Sahel countries (Central Africa), many were abandoned by French, British, and Canadian companies that operated on a concession basis—a principle that Russia itself abandoned early in the century.
The equitable development of resources in the "black continent" is one of the "headaches" of the United Nations. Therefore, the Competency Center in Mining Education under UNESCO (a UN division) is the founder of the Consortium. One of the mechanisms for its work is the function of selecting samples at mining sites.
The rector expressed his readiness to "consider the possibility of sending a prospecting team to Ethiopia, to then examine the samples at the Scientific Centers of the Mining University," and in the case of significant reserves, determine which Russian companies might be interested in such developments. It may also be possible to organize a laboratory for material composition on-site.
The guests, in turn, expressed their admiration for the university's infrastructure, noting that "they had not seen anything like this at any other university».
