Punia-Lubutu (Maniema) - Tin and Diamonds

Property Details

The Punia-Lubutu property consists of three licences #3632 (12 blocks), #3630 (15 blocks) and #3619 (15 blocks) and covers an area of 37.5 km2 in the Province of Maniema, east of Goma. Shamika’s property includes 1 licence in Punia and 2 licences in Lubutu.

Infrastructures

Four major roads cross the Province of Maniema; all of them are linked one way or another to the cities of Punia and Lubutu. There is also a power station in Punia (2,000 kW). Some projects with the World Bank are also in progress in the area.

General Description

Punia and Lubutu lie in the North of the Province of Maniema, in a mineral-rich area that contains tin, tantalum, niobium and tungsten ore, as well as gold and diamonds. Situated in the western part of Maniema, most of the area is covered by deep forest. Most of the mineral resources are probably still unknown. The cassiterite and tantalite deposits, which have been known for years, are hosted in alluvium placers. Recently, diamonds were found in both Punia and Lubutu regions.

Mining History

From 1976, mining activities in the Kivus (including present-day Maniema) were dominated by SOMINKI (Société Minière du Kivu), a State-owned company. But the fall of world cassiterite prices forced SOMINKI to close most of its industrial operations and allow individual diggers to engage in artisanal mining. In March 1997, SOMINKI was sold off to a US company, Cluff Mining, and a Canadian company, Banro, bought Cluff Mining’s shares and opened up a Congolese subsidiary named Sakima. Sakima has remained dormant since 1998, and does not, to this day, operate any mine.

The Punia-Lubutu mining rights were acquired by Shamika from Geminaco, a Congolese company, which had secured a vast perimeter in the region. The original permits issued to Geminaco have been transferred by endorsement to Shamika in June 2007.