The Australian exploration company Gippsland Limited recently embarked on a feasibility study for the development of a tantalite deposit at Abu Dabbab, in Egypt's eastern desert region, confirmed the African Mining Monitor. Gippsland and the Egyptian government own the deposit with equal stakes and together have founded the Tantalum Egypt joint venture to develop the project.
The Egyptian Geological Survey and Mining Authority is representing the Egyptian government in the venture. The Tantalite Egypt project is located some 770 kilometers south of Cairo on the western shore of the Red Sea.
Once the study has been completed, production at Abu Dabbab could begin within 18 months, according to Gippsland. Initial output is estimated to be 420,000 lb of tantalum pentoxide annually, while it is hoped that output would eventually be doubled to 840,000 lb per year.
Tantalum is a metal used in the production of miniature high-efficiency electronic capacitors and in a variety of specialty metal alloys used in the chemical and aerospace industries. Tantalum capacitors are presently in particularly high demand, accounting for 60 percent of the world tantalum market, because they are now an essential component of military systems, cellular phones, pagers, computers, and video games. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
