Tanzania: Miners Urged to Embrace Geological Survey Skill

By Sylivester Domasa in Geita

ARTISANAL and smallholder miners are being urged to embrace the Geological Survey of Tanzania (GST) skills in their mission to seek financial support and improve exploration of underground minerals.

That was learnt at the Geita international mining machinery and technology fair GST, adding that it has obtained the world-latest technology to detect underground mineral direction, depth of hard rocks, size, shape, orientation and type of ore body to be mined.

Making the revelation, GST Chief Geologist, Sudian Chiragwire, said research findings by team of experts from the agency have verified that in their labs, which hold internationally agreed standards-ISO.

"Most miners are struggling to identify the location of the rocks with minerals. GST has the capacity and equipment to help artisanal and smallholder miners to reach their mining goals," he said.

GST said it was providing affordable services as part of the government service to the public and taxpayers. According to the Chief Geologist, the licensed miners in groups can easily access the service without necessary hiring expensive foreign companies.

"I assure you today that the certificate that we'll present can also be used to bargain terms of financial options from private lenders, investors and banks," he told small scale miners attending a business clinic.

Geita's Regional Mineral Office noted at the exhibition that artisanal and smallholder miners face challenges ranging from lack of capital, precise geological information, technology to architectural techniques, drilling and developing mining sites knowhow.

Mr Chiragwire said metal detectors are ineffective in the entire process but could work well in detecting hidden bombs or metals in secured doors.

He said GST uses equipment such as Induced Polarization (IP). IP, a geophysical imaging technique is used extensively in mineral exploration and mine operation to identify electrical chargeability of subsurface materials such as ore.

Matutu Henry, a Mgusu based smallholder miner told reporters that miners were struggling to obtain funds from banks. The financial institutions had been demanding geological reports which fewer miners can afford to produce.