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L. Fituni, I. Abramova Resource Potential of Africa and Russia's ...

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ation budget decreased slightly to about 15% in 2008. In 2008, the<br />

principal mineral commodities <strong>of</strong> interest for exploration in <strong>Africa</strong><br />

were base metals, diamond, gold, PGM, <strong>and</strong> uranium. 4<br />

Exploration was focused primarily in (in order <strong>of</strong> the number <strong>of</strong><br />

sites being actively explored) South <strong>Africa</strong>, Zambia, Namibia, Tanzania,<br />

Congo (Kinshasa), Ghana, Burkina Faso, <strong>and</strong> Mali, but activity<br />

also took place in a number <strong>of</strong> other countries. Gold targets accounted<br />

for approximately 33% <strong>of</strong> reported <strong>Africa</strong>n exploration projects;<br />

Platinum group metals (PGM) made up about 15%; copper<br />

<strong>and</strong> diamond each represented about 13%; uranium made up about<br />

12%; <strong>and</strong> base metals made up about 7%. Based on the number <strong>of</strong><br />

active exploration sites, early-stage projects composed about 53% <strong>of</strong><br />

the 2008 activity, whereas producing projects accounted for about<br />

24% <strong>and</strong> feasibility stage projects represented about 16%. 5<br />

Below, we provide a comparison <strong>of</strong> the structure <strong>and</strong> performance<br />

<strong>of</strong> competitive extractive industries, in respectively <strong>Africa</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />

Russia, for the key strategically important minerals mentioned in the<br />

first chapter.<br />

Bauxites <strong>and</strong> Alumina. 6 In 2008, <strong>Africa</strong>n production <strong>of</strong> refined<br />

aluminum decreased by 5% compared with that <strong>of</strong> 2007. South <strong>Africa</strong><br />

accounted for about 47% <strong>of</strong> <strong>Africa</strong>n aluminum output; Mozambique,<br />

31%; <strong>and</strong> Egypt, 15%. <strong>Africa</strong> accounted for 4% <strong>of</strong> the<br />

world’s aluminum production in 2008. In Mozambique <strong>and</strong> South<br />

<strong>Africa</strong>, production decreased because <strong>of</strong> power supply constraints.<br />

<strong>Africa</strong>n bauxite production increased by 5% in 2008. In Guinea,<br />

production increased at Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée <strong>and</strong><br />

Compagnie des Bauxites de Kindia’s mines. Output decreased at the<br />

Sierra Mineral Mine in Sierra Leone. Guinea accounted for about<br />

91% <strong>of</strong> <strong>Africa</strong>n bauxite production, <strong>and</strong> Sierra Leone, 5%. In 2008,<br />

<strong>Africa</strong>’s share <strong>of</strong> world bauxite production was 9%.<br />

In 2008, world aluminum consumption amounted to 36.9 million<br />

metric tons (Mt) compared with 37.2 Mt in 2007. <strong>Africa</strong> accounted<br />

for about 2% <strong>of</strong> world aluminum consumption in 2008.<br />

The production <strong>of</strong> refined aluminum is expected to increase by<br />

an average <strong>of</strong> about 3% per year from 2008 to 2015. Unrest in Egypt<br />

in early 2011 negatively affected production at the Nag Hammadi.<br />

66

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