Portugal’s LNEG is collaborating with Timor-Leste to assess its metallic mineral potential, identifying resources like gold, chromium, nickel, and copper. The project involves field work to create mineral maps and train local personnel, promoting sustainable economic development in the region.
Portugal’s National Energy and Geology Laboratory (LNEG) is collaborating with Timor-Leste to explore the mineral potential of the country. According to the Lusa news agency, project leader Igor Pereira Morais stated that significant potential for gold and critical minerals such as chromium, nickel, and copper has already been identified. LNEG aims to define areas most likely to contain metallic minerals based on their extensive project experience.
The collaboration involves the Geosciences Institute of Timor-Leste and researchers from the University of Coimbra’s Earth Sciences Department. If the project confirms metallic mineral potential, specialized companies will assess the commercial viability of these resources. “We’ve already made an initial inventory. In the next phase, it’s necessary to go to the sites and delve deeper,” Morais explained.
LNEG noted that extractive industries like metallic mineral resources are critical for sustainable development and could provide Timor-Leste with an economic future as the world moves away from fossil fuels, which have been its main revenue source. LNEG and the Geosciences Institute of Timor-Leste (IGTL) signed a memorandum of understanding to initiate this joint project, which began formal work after initial ground activities commenced months later.
Morais traveled to Timor-Leste in late August and spent the following month conducting field campaigns to standardize existing data on metallic mineral resources and develop Timor-Leste’s first mineral maps. Additionally, LNEG is committed to training Timorese personnel as part of this partnership, hosting two trainees at its Aljustrel campus in Portugal’s Mineral Resources and Geophysics Unit in the near future.
The partnership between Portugal and Timor-Leste highlights the importance of exploring metallic mineral resources and their potential impact on sustainable economic development. LNEG’s extensive expertise and collaborative efforts with local institutes and universities aim to enhance mineral resource mapping and personnel training, paving the way for future evaluations of commercial viability in the mining sector.
Original Source: macaonews.org
