GEOLOGY
BENIN REMAINS
UNDEREXPLORED
The small country of Benin must look to harnessing its mineral
endowment to catch the wave of interest in West Africa.
By Nicolaas Steenkamp.
T
he mining industry of Benin is very underdeveloped
in comparison to some its neighbouring countries in
West Africa. From the 17th to the 19th century, the
main political entities in the area were the Kingdom of
Dahomey, along with the city-state of Porto-Novo. France
took over the country and renamed it French Dahomey.
Since independence in 1960, the country has struggled with
ineffective government and an erratic economy. The elections
in April 2019, led to enduring political tensions, as it was, for all
intents and purposes, a one-party election.
Benin has a hot and humid climate, with an annual average
rainfall of 1 300 mm per annum. The country has two dry and
wet seasons., with temperatures year-round of between 24 and
31°C along the coast. The climate rapidly becomes drier and
warmer as it approaches the Sahel.
The gold-bearing regions in Benin is underlain by Proterozoic
magmatic gneiss. The gold mineralisation is associated with
veins hosted in quartzite, mica schist, schist and amphibolite,
outcropping in faults. The gold mineralisation is associated
with sulphides and tourmaline, occurring in three forms:
native free gold, tellurides and combined or included in
sulphide minerals.
The best-known gold mineralisation is associated with
conglomerates in quartzites of the Togo Group in north-
western Benin. Gold mining in Benin is done primarily by
artisanal miners, from gold veins near the villages of Kwatena
and Tchantangou and in the Atakora Mountains. Alluvial
gold is panned from the Perma River and its tributaries. Fears
were expressed that jihadist could exploit the artisanal gold
workings in Benin as a means to fund themselves. In recent
years more potentially economical gold mineralisation was
identified in Alibori region.
Oil and hydrocarbons
34
African Mining February 2020
Oil was produced from the Seme oilfield throughout the 1900s
up until 1998. Oil exploration was undertaken by Kosmos in
the Cretaceous section of West Africa. The company is now
utilising the experience it gained from the work they did Benin
to explore other potential targets along the coast of West
www. africanmining.co.za