The Angolan government is currently engaged in an international roadshow to showcase mineral concessions that the country will make available to local and foreign investors. The roadshow started with a presentation in Luanda on August 27, with the second presentation to be held in Dubai on September 10, followed by Beijing on September 16 and then ending in London on September 20.

The intent is to attract investors to a public bidding process for five mining concessions. Two are diamond concessions, in Lunda Norte and Lunda Sul provinces, one is an iron-ore concession in Cuanza Norte province and two are phosphate concessions, in Cabinda and Zaire provinces. According to the country’s Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy, the presentations can be attended by national and international companies, chambers of commerce and industry, banks, professional associations, embassies and other entities interested in the mineral resources that are to be concessioned.

The Ministry has reported that the first presentation, in Luanda, attracted more than 60 expressions of interest. Further expressions of interest had also already been received for the presentations in Dubai, Beijing and London. Most of those who attended the Luanda event were Angolans or local representatives of international interests, particularly Brazilian and South African.

The intention of the Ministry is to hold the bidding process for the concessions in the period between September 30 and October 2. This will be followed by a period of between 25 and 120 days for the reception, analysis and selection of the competing bids. After this, the concessions will be granted to the winners. There is a possibility that the process might be concluded before the end of this year.

Meanwhile, the new head of the Geological Institute of Angola (IGEO is its acronym in Portuguese), Canga Xiaquivuila, has said that one of the priorities of the new board of directors is to improve the geological information about the country in order to attract foreign investors. IGEO is a public body, with the main mission being to carry out and coordinate geological mapping and the study of the mineral resources of the country, taking into account the minerals and mining policy established by government.

The Institute had to develop its experts, in order to meet the challenges of the sector and, in particular, to staff three new chemical analysis laboratories, which have been set up in Luanda, Saurimo and Huíla. Another priority was the revitalisation of the Hidromina company in the south of the country. Hidromina explored for aquifers, the discovery of which was needed to alleviate the effects of the drought in that part of the country.

“We are also working on the execution of the memorandums of understanding with Germany for prospecting for subterranean waters in the south, and on the evaluation of mineral resources with Russia for the validation of geological information, as well as cooperation with Japan [also] for the evaluation of mineral resources.”