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Investment opportunities available in the mining
sector
Investment opportunities are big in mineral
resources exploitation. It has many factors to
insure its success such as:
-Availability
of raw mineral deposits and industrial rocks for
various industries, most of which are still non
exploited yet.
-Detailed
information related to quantity and type of raw
minerals and industrial rocks are available.
-There
are export markets.
-Available
basic infra structure on top of which highly
experienced geologists.
-
Available
investment opportunities
1.to
invest in treatment of feldspar bearing sand
with the aim to produce feldspar concentrate-Najaf
Governorate.
Feldspar bearing sand is basically silica sand
in the form of quartz and feldspar with variable
contents of gypsum. Feldspar content is 14.5%,
but higher percentage of feldspar is available
in the size fraction coarser than 110 microns
reaching 24.33% on wt. basis.
Required investment is to build a beneficiation
plant to concentrate the feldspar to suitable
industrial grade in order to promote its
marketing.
In Iraq, feldspar is required in glass and
ceramic industries. These can be considered as
potential local consumers. When this martial is
made available in Iraqi market, it will
encourage other industries based on feldspar to
emerge.
2.To
invest in Kaolin clay exploitation in the
western desert- Al-Anbar Governorate.
The western parts of Iraq hosts huge deposits of
Kaolinitic clay of various qualities. These
clays are classified as white when iron oxides
contents are less than 3%, and coloured when it
is higher. These deposits are located at Al-Gaara,
Al-Hussainiat and Amij areas. Mining conditions
are favorable in most deposits and can be
extracted by means of conventional equipment.
Kaolin clays can be used in the following
industries:
-
production
of Aluminum oxide.
-
Various ceramic industries (sanitary-table ware)
-
White
cement production.
-
Production
of tiles, ceramic pipes and acid resisting
tiles.
- Fire
brick production.
- Electrical
insulators.
- Building
brick produetion.
- Production
of Zeolite and Alum.
-
Paper and
rubber industries (as a filler).
-Thermal
paints.
These clays have wide potential market in Iraq
in addition to export potentials.
3.
coloured
clay for roof tiles and brick production
Large reserves of coloured clays are available
in Iraq. Various studies have
proved its suitability for the production
of red roof tiles and red bricks with high
quality. These clays are available at south-west
Hussainiat and Amij areas. The clay beds are
overlain by dolomite overburden, which is very
hard and requires blasting, while clay is soft
and can be mined using conventional equipment.
Red roof tiles and red brick production is not
available in Iraq at present. The market for
these products in Iraq can be insured. Physical
tests on these products (tensile and
compressive) have shown compliance with
international standards.
4.To
invest in bentonite activation project.
Natural bentonite is available in the western
desert of Iraq- Al-Anbar Governorate. The state
company for Geological Survey and Mining is
exploiting this bentonite at present time. The
bentonite is a Ca- bentonite. The aim of the
project is to convert the Ca-bentonite into Na-bentonite.
Through activation by soda ash and other
additives. The product should conform to AP1
standard.
Sodium activated bentonite is required for deep
oil wells drilling which means that local demand
is high and is expected to increase together
with increased oil production. This product is
also required in foundry work and pile driving
in civil works. Local consumers will be
encouraged in case of available local production
since they will not be obliged to maintain high
inventory and consequently high frozen
investment, in addition to the benefit of short
transport distance and short delivery time. On
top of that many countries around Iraq are oil
producing countries making export prospect
possible. The Technological path for this
project is simple.
5.To
invest in sodium sulphate project.
Deposits of raw material for sodium
sulphate production are located in Shari lake,
Samarra – Sallahaddin Governorate. The deposit
is a mixture of glauberite crystals, mud and
silt. Laboratory and pilot plant tests proved
that this raw material is suitable for the
production of sodium sulphate with high purity.
It is required to invest in building a sodium
sulphate production plant with high (99.9%)
purity at production capacity of 50000 tons per
year. At deposit site some services are
available, such as 25 km paved road, high
tension electrical power line, 7 mega watt
secondary power station, housing facilities.
Storage buildings, water wells and offices.
There is local demand for sodium sulphate in
detergent and other industries. It is expected
that demand will grow in future. There is good
prospect for export to neighouring countries.
6.limestone
deposits suitable for cement industry.
In Iraq there are large limestone deposits
suitable for Portland cement, and other very
pure types suitable white cement, glass sugar,
paper and lime industries.
The reserves available are so large as to enable
expansion in all limestone based industries.
Deposits announced for exploitation are
characterized by being on or near the surface
with thin overburden cover. Recommended mining
method is open cast. Mining requires blasting
operations.
The following are some of locations recommended
for exploitation:-
-Wadi
Fodhwa – Al-Muthana Governorate.
Limestone deposits lie 210 kms. South west of
Samawa city, near to Samawa – Salman paved road
at Salman province. These deposits have already
been reserved for new cement production projects
to be built by private investors. It is strongly
believed that these reserves can be increased if
further geological investigations are carried
out.
-Al-
khadhari location – Al-Muthana Governorate.
Limestone deposits lie 35 km. south west of
Samawa city, near to Samawa-Salman paved road.
These deposits have also been already reserved
for new cement projects to be built by private
investors. There also it is strongly believed
that reserves can be increased if further
geological investigations are carried out.
-Al-Rohba
location – Najaf Governorate.
Limestone deposits lie 50 km south west of Najaf
city near to Najaf – Shbicha paved road. These
deposits have also been reserved for new cement
plants. To be built by private investors.
Reserves can be increased through further
geological investigations.
- Wadi
Chadaf (I) Al-Anbar Governorate.
There are no paved roads. Reserves at this
location are very
large
and are not exploited.
-Wadi
Ghadaf (II) Al-Anbar Governorate.
Limestone deposits lie 100 km south west of
Ramadi city, near to wadi Chadaf. There are no
paved roads. Reserves at this location are very
large, and are not exploited.
-Haifa
3(H3) Al- Anbar Governorate.
Limestone deposits lie 70km .west of Rutba town
near to Baghdad–Aman high way. Limestone at this
location is of high purity. Reserves are very
large ,and not exploited.
-Swab
location AL Anbar Governorate.
Limestone deposit lie 90 km north of Rutba town,
and near to Akashat
phosphate mimes ,near the location there are
paved mines road, railways, way and housing
Reserves are huge and of high purity.
- Southern
Qarachauq, Erabil Government.
imestone deposit lie 65km south West of Erbil
city within
Qara choug anticline. Limestone at
this location is of high purity
- Sinjar
location- Ninava Governorate.
Limestone deposit lie 90km west Mosul city
within Sinjar
mountain. The available reserves have been
reserved for
new cement project to be built by private
investor.
Reserves can be increased if further geological
investigation
are carried out.
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