The Jiangxi Geology Bureau, an institution based in China, will begin mineral research in Gaza province, southern Mozambique, with the goal of assessing the quantity and quality of natural resources in the region.

The project will focus on evaluating zircon, uranium and gold, and positive results and their commercial value could lead to the start of exploration and export.

The Chinese researchers recently visited the sites to be assessed and signed a working partnership with the local government to ensure that the activities are carried out properly.

Mozambique OKs port terminal for Chinese heavy sands mining project

In 2022, the Australian mining company MRG Metals announced that the results of a study carried out on its Nhacutse and Poiombo deposits, in Gaza province, showed that there were very high grade heavy mineral sands, providing an estimate of mineral resources compatible with the JORC (Australian code for reporting mineral resources) in the two deposits.

At the time, the organization explained that, in specific terms, the Nhacutse deposit had an inferred mineral resource of 535 megatons, equivalent to 4.9% of the Total Heavy Minerals (THM), while the Poiombo deposit contained 325 megatons, corresponding to 4.8%.

“The survey also found that the heavy minerals were composed of 39% ilmenite, 31% titanomagnetite, 2% zircon and 1% rutile,” said at the time the company’s president, Andrew Van Der Zwan, describing the results as fantastic and stressing the existence of impressive high-grade zones.