Papers by Dr. G R A I N W Y S O N P H I L L I P MALUNGA FIMMM, DFAI
The most common titanium minerals in Malawi are ilmenite (FeTiO3). These minerals are widely dist... more The most common titanium minerals in Malawi are ilmenite (FeTiO3). These minerals are widely distributed in form alluvial and saprolite. Saprolite rutile is common n central Malawi while alluvial ilmenite is common along the beaches of lake Malawi, lake Chilwa and alluvial fans of Tengani in Nsanje District. Economic potential for in situ ilmenite/rutile bodies exist in anorthosite bodies of Tengani area. Malawi is now known to host the largest saprolite titanium deposit in the world.
Ore beneficiation and mineral value addition bring more financial and economic benefits from our ... more Ore beneficiation and mineral value addition bring more financial and economic benefits from our mineral resources. Mineral beneficiation is transformation of a mineral or a combination of minerals to a higher value product which can either be consumed locally or exported. Mineral value addition is the process of turning raw ores and concentrates into usable chemicals and metals. These processes bring much needed technological revolution, high revenue and job creation. The prerequisite for this is investing in industrial inputs such as energy, water, and technology to encourage beneficiation. The field of mineral processing has been given other titles such as mineral dressing, ore dressing, mineral extraction, mineral beneficiation, and mineral engineering. These terms are often used interchangeably. This paper looks at beneficiation and value addition in the proper context in which they should be understood and applied.
Mining & Trade Review Vol. 146, 2024
Malawi has prioritised the promotion and development of the Agriculture, Tourism and Mining secto... more Malawi has prioritised the promotion and development of the Agriculture, Tourism and Mining sectors (ATM) the country into economic development. The Malawi Chamber of Mines and Energy has taken leadership to develop Malawi's critical minerals by 2027. This will not only create wealth but also generate employment, skills transfer and create market for goods and services.
Mining and Trade Review, 2024
Gypsum in Malawi occurs as mineral crystals of fine to course size about 1 metre depth in dambos ... more Gypsum in Malawi occurs as mineral crystals of fine to course size about 1 metre depth in dambos (marshland) of the Dedza-Lilongwe-Kasungu plain. On average the clays of the dambos contain about 7% gypsum with 60% of this existing as fine material mixed with and sand particles. There is a lot of potential in using this fraction cement and fertilizer manufacturing while the other can be used for chalk and POP manufacturing.
There is need for the manufacturing companies to support the artisanal and small scale miners with capital and technology to increase production. Partnership with tertiary institutions on technology research and development is encouraged.
Research work has shown that deposits for ceramic and brick clays exist widely in Malawi. These a... more Research work has shown that deposits for ceramic and brick clays exist widely in Malawi. These are associated with dambo sedimentation. They also lie on weathered bedrock of anorthosite and syenite bodies, quartz feldspathic gneiss and pegmatitic bodies. Some research work was conducted at Linthipe in Dedza,
Kyanite is a refractory mineral whose calcined product is used for the manufacture of refractory ... more Kyanite is a refractory mineral whose calcined product is used for the manufacture of refractory products such as bricks, mortars, and kiln furniture used in high-temperature furnaces. It is added also to glass formulations to enhance their quality and durability for high-temperature resistance. The mineral is found in central Malawi in high grade metamorphic rocks. University and college students can be encouraged to go into "research and development" through partnership with the industry in developing refractory products.
Mining and Trade Review, 2024
Gemstones are precious and semi-precious stones which are suitable for cutting as gems. Common ge... more Gemstones are precious and semi-precious stones which are suitable for cutting as gems. Common gemstones in Malawi belong to tourmaline, garnet, quartz, beryl and corundum. Most of these gemstones are found in Proterozoic pegmatites of northern Malawi. Gemstone mining in Malawi has mainly involved mining of tourmaline, amethyst and aquamarine. Most mines emerged after discovery of the stones in top soil as float. Most prospectors have lost money due to lack of proper prospecting, evaluation and grading of these stones that influence market price.
Mining and Trade Review, 2024
Talc is a clay mineral composed of hydrated magnesium silicate. It is the softest mineral and is ... more Talc is a clay mineral composed of hydrated magnesium silicate. It is the softest mineral and is used in cosmetics as a thickening agent and lubricant. It is an ingredient in ceramics and paints. In Malawi it is found as a product of metamorphic basic rocks such as serpentenised pyroxenites.
The minerals sector in Malawi is at infancy stage. Most activities are at exploration stage and v... more The minerals sector in Malawi is at infancy stage. Most activities are at exploration stage and very few small scale mines exist. These cannot significantly contribute to nation economic development. The minerals sector has made significant exploration progress in the past 10 years. The country has the ability to create wealth through export of energy transition minerals and other strategic minerals. The country has rare earths, rutile, graphite and uranium that are world class energy transition minerals. Niobium and tantalum are also energy transition metals whose significance is in their properties of hardness, conductivity, and resistance to corrosion.
Resource curse and sovereign wealth funds are put into local context in order to guide their prop... more Resource curse and sovereign wealth funds are put into local context in order to guide their proper interpretation and how they can promote sustainable development through strategic determination of fiscal policies that influence effective national revenue management.
The Malawi Government has recognized mining as a priority sector for realizing wealth creation th... more The Malawi Government has recognized mining as a priority sector for realizing wealth creation that will support the implementation of Malawi 2063 development agenda. There is need to come up with mine specific investment incentives in order to promote mineral exploration and mining. These investment incentives should have the capability of cushioning mining as a high risk, long term and stable revenue generator with the ability to create sovereign wealth fund. Global mining risks Mining is a high risk, long-lived business that is capital-intensive with, with significant investment in exploration and development mostly sourced from the private sector. It has long periods of preproduction during which no revenue is earned. It depends on successful exploration, favorable commodity prices and a stable exchange rate.
Mining projects attract investment if the country's incentives and fiscal regime are more favoura... more Mining projects attract investment if the country's incentives and fiscal regime are more favourable than alternative investments. Malawi risks chasing away mining investment if its fiscal regime is enacted into law and does not give flexibility in terms of making projects financially and economically viable. There is need always to refer to what is trending in the region around us in order to be competitive. Care should be undertaken in order to exercise reasonable benefit sharing arising from mining projects without giving away too much. This paper looks at issues that need to be considered in order to attract investment in the mining sector.
Sustainable reporting in mining promotes trust and confidence that create peaceful coexistence be... more Sustainable reporting in mining promotes trust and confidence that create peaceful coexistence between resource companies and other stakeholders including government and mining communities. Sustainable mining meets society's requirements for resources today while ensuring the future needs of generations to come. Sustainability issues revolve around addressing negative impacts arising from Environment, Social, and Governance. These key issues promote project acceptability, reputation and market competitiveness.
Mining contracts are agreements entered into between government and a mining company with an aim ... more Mining contracts are agreements entered into between government and a mining company with an aim to develop mineral resources. They cover issues related with government revenue and other social economic issues affecting mining communities. Security of tenure and stability clauses are included. To avoid revenue from the natural resource sector benefit a few influential individuals, Mine Development Agreement becomes the most important document which is guided by the constitution, mining laws, business and labour laws, taxation acts and related regulations. These contracts become relevant where governments are characterized by weak institutions, corruption and political instability. One of the most important contracts is the Mine Development Agreement. Negotiations are done with a team of experts in natural resource development and development economics. In order to build national consensus in the development and utilization of revenue from natural resource exploitation, these agreements should be accessible to the public.
Malawi is a green field country in terms of exploration and mining. Recent studies have shown tha... more Malawi is a green field country in terms of exploration and mining. Recent studies have shown that it is potentially a key provider of energy transition minerals such as rare earths, rutile, graphite, uranium and aluminium. There is potential to exploit manganese in carbonatites such as Songwe and Kangankunde. ENERGY TRANSITION MINERALS IN MALAWI Global Climate Change Coal, oil and gas are fossil fuels that contribute to global climate change and they account for 75 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions. The effect of this is release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere causing global warming.
Samples assist with decision-making to advance exploration activities, resource estimation, grade... more Samples assist with decision-making to advance exploration activities, resource estimation, grade control, and plant design. Samples are not part of ore extraction. The value of samples are tied to information they give to advance exploration projects into mining projects. Mineral Exploration Mineral exploration is an activity that helps identify minerals that can be commercially extracted or mined in the future. Geologists and prospectors look for minerals in rocks and soils including clues as to where a deposit may be hidden. Large areas are mapped and sampled leading to smaller target areas. These target areas are characterized using a combination of geological, geophysical, and geochemical tools to provide indirect indications for reducing the search radius.
Resource-rich countries are faced with various challenges that include targeted investments in hi... more Resource-rich countries are faced with various challenges that include targeted investments in high-value minerals and metals, illicit financial flows, lack of investment in strategic industrial minerals, and poor monitoring by the government on compliance with resource planning and development. There is a need to revisit the philosophy of resource nationalization and publicprivate partnership through social inclusion, transparency, and accountability.
Substantial deposits of glass sands occur in dambos around Mchinji. Recoverable reserves in six d... more Substantial deposits of glass sands occur in dambos around Mchinji. Recoverable reserves in six dambos amount to 1.6 million tonnes. Silica percentage for the sand varies from 96% to 99 % while the iron percentage varies from 0.12% to 0.2%. The deposits are suitable for the manufacture of good quality glass. The Lake Chiuta sand bar is estimated to have 25 million tonnes of glass sand containing 92.7% silica and 0.62% iron. Further beneficiation will improve the quality of the sand to make it suitable for the manufacture of plate glass and amber glass containers. Scrubbing and magnetic separation can lower iron percentage and unlock more production of other glass products.
Malawi's geothermal resources are undeveloped due to the lack of appropriate data required to ana... more Malawi's geothermal resources are undeveloped due to the lack of appropriate data required to analyze their economic potential. Most of the available data is scientific with few parameters necessary for economic interpretation. The geothermal resources in the Nkhotakota district offer potential for geothermal energy, tourism, and domestic use. The Linga Geothermal field has the potential to supply hot water to the future Nkhotakota urban center.
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Papers by Dr. G R A I N W Y S O N P H I L L I P MALUNGA FIMMM, DFAI
There is need for the manufacturing companies to support the artisanal and small scale miners with capital and technology to increase production. Partnership with tertiary institutions on technology research and development is encouraged.
There is need for the manufacturing companies to support the artisanal and small scale miners with capital and technology to increase production. Partnership with tertiary institutions on technology research and development is encouraged.