A new era in the Angolan mining sector

Angola

José Octávio Xieto, CEO of GeoAtlânticous, talks to The Energy Year about the role the company plays in the Angolan mining industry, the value it creates for international companies entering the Angolan mining sector and developments in the Angolan mining sector. GeoAtlânticous provides mining environmental services and consultancy.

What role does GeoAtlânticous play in the Angolan mining industry?
GeoAtlânticous is a 100% Angolan company that works in the mining sector. We’ve been in the market for five years. We constantly develop, continuously bring solutions to the mining sector and develop exploration activities that enable greenfield discoveries, which are the main focus for GeoAtlânticous.
At the moment, we are conducting 16 projects in Angola, mostly to discover metals and precious minerals. We have an international partnership with MSA Group, a company that has a lot of experience in mining and with whom we can create many synergies locally. Besides greenfield projects, we are also solving complex issues relating to the end of certain mines’ lifecycles and production optimisation.

How does GeoAtlânticous create value for international companies entering the Angolan mining sector?
When we invite a company to come to Angola, they have a lot of questions about legal support, logistics and technical strategies. In the past, unfortunately for us, many companies that came to Angola could bring everything from South Africa or Namibia, for example, but now I think the game has changed partially.
We can assist international companies entering the Angolan market. Of course, we have many challenges to overcome before this is successful, but we are able to be international companies’ local partners and create a lot of value with new investors in the country’s growing mining sector.
The most important thing is that we have the knowledge about the geological landscape of Angola. I think we can help them with this. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about the Namib desert or Luanda city. We need to go where nature has the conditions to create the mineral deposits, and I think we know the local conditions.
At the moment, we are also developing a solution for green energy to supply the mining sector. I think the greatest problem that we have in the mining sector is energy supply. GeoAtlânticous has developed a new solution to decrease the cost of energy. At the moment diesel-powered generators are still the main source of energy. The new solution will be unveiled in 2024 and will involve a combination of solar energy and small dams for hydroelectric energy generation near the relevant geologic prospects.

What is your perspective on the growth and health of the Angolan mining sector?
The Angolan mining sector is more dynamic than ever. Of course, we have a lot of work to do until we create a truly efficient mining sector. However, we’ve never had an open sector like we have now. There is still a lot to do in terms of communication, human resources development and local mining investment policies, but at the moment, Angola is open for mining investors, and I think this is a result of the national programme of cartography and the Angolan government’s new policy for the mining sector.
There is a growing interest in playing a part in the industry, and not just in diamonds but in other minerals such as lithium, copper and rare earths. These are commodities that are growing in importance globally as we embark into the energy transition, the electric vehicle and the technology industry. This is all fuelling very interesting growth in the Angolan mining sector, and we must be ready to take it on.
On our side, we are looking to take on this growth by investing in a geological academy to provide Angolans with the necessary expertise to thrive in this industry. The projects that we have in our portfolio justify different training for different kinds of mineral deposits. We can teach people about metal reserves, metallurgy, mining, diamonds and so on. However, the future is the critical minerals, so we will prepare especially to handle these.

What are your key goals for 2024?
We’d like to expand more in Sub-Saharan Africa. At the moment, we have requests to supply mining services in the DRC, where we have an office in Kinshasa. Mali and its gold projects are also on our radar. Angola and the region as a whole are going to grow a lot in the coming decades in terms of mining.
We need to invest in exploration and production and in creating more capacity to process minerals. We need to help Africa create increased value from its raw materials. We need to create local value and talk more about research and training for local people. I think we can do that if we can transform the local scene with refineries and labs.
Angola’s mining sector is in a great and defining moment. My message to investors is “come to Angola.” We have the data, and we know there are untapped opportunities that can define the rest of the century and the energy transition.

Read our latest insights on:

• Angola
• Namibia