Chrome
Madagascar began its first chrome mining operation in 1969 and the country has been mining and exporting
high grade chrome ore ever since. Madagascar has numerous chrome rich regions (fig. Chrome-1), and from
perusal of the archival database, there are numerous potential chrome projects within the country which
warrant evaluation.
The Andriamena chrome region, located at the southern end of the Tsaratanana Mineral Field
(fig. Chrome-1), has been Madagascar’s leading chrome producing region. According to published information,
the mining company Kroamita had exported as of 1985 approximately 3.2 million tons of high grade chrome ore
from its Andriamena mining operation (BRGM (Bureau de Recherches Geologiques et Minieres), 1985).
PAMM has secured one hundred percent (100%) tenure over one hundred and eleven squares (an area
of approximately 700 sq. km.), located immediately to the north, west and soutwest from Kroamita’s
Andriamena mining operation (please refer to the Maevatanana Project, Area A4). From reference to
the archival database, the Maevatanana project area licences contain numerous chrome anomalies
(fig. A4-1 ; refer BRGM, 1985) and this project is considered extremely prospective for the occurrence
of economic chrome mineralisation.
The Befandriana Chrome Belt is Madagascar’s other hightly prospective chrome region . It is within
this belt that PAMM has secured one hundred percent tenure over two highly prospective chrome projects,
namely the Zafindravoay Chrome Project and the Beriana Chrome Project.
The Zafindravoay Chrome Project, located approximately 400 kilometers north from Antananarivo, the
capital of Madagascar, occurs in the northwest province of Mahajanga. The project comprises fourteen
contiguous squares and the area under tenure totals 87.50 square kilometers. PAMM has acquired 100%
ownership rights to the project under a purchase agreement. Official transfer of permits by the BCMM is
pending. Access and general project infrastructure are considered very good.
The project occurs within the north-northwest to south-southeast trending Befandriana Chrome Belt.
This belt extends over two hundred kilometers and varies to thirty-five kilometers in width. Domanant
rock types are granite, granite migmatite and potassic gneiss. The belt is characterised by numerous
ultramafic pods and such pods contain chrome and nickel mineralisation (data from the archival database,
Madagascar Dept. of Geology, Antananarivo). The Zafindravoay Chrome Project is within the largest of
these ultramafic pods. At Zafindravoay, the ultramafic pod is approximately one kilometre long and
varies to six hundred metres.
In 1985, BRGM estimated remaining mineable reserves for the project of approximately four hundred
and forty thousand tonnes of chrome ore. This estimate was from a total of five chrome prospects within
the Zafindravoay project area. The BRGM "mineable reserves" are considered to be measured historical
mineral resources in accordance with CIM guidelines as required by NI43-101. Such measured resources
are not current and have not as of this date been verified by the Company through independent study.
The Beriana Chrome Project is located approximately thirty kilometers southeast from the
Zafindravoay Chrome Project (above). It comprises 12 squares under permit 100% owned by PAMM,
covering an area of approximately 75 sq. km. It occurs within the Befandriana Chrome Belt and is
located within an ultramafic pod of unknown dimensions, which is not exposed at surface. Access and
general project infrastructure are considered reasonably good.
In 1962, BRGM presented an eluvial mineable reserve of 4,000 tonnes of chrome ore (Donnet, 1962).
This ore had both an exceptionally high grade of 55% Cr203 and a Cr: Fe ratio in excess of 3.0. The
estimated c hrome grade for the Beriana ore is the highest chrome grade recorded in Madagascar.
The BRGM reserve estimate was based on trench data and only included the identified outcropping and
very shallow, buried eluvial chromite ore. The primary source of the eluvial chromite ore was not
identified (Donnet, 1962). The BRGM "mineable reserves" are considered to be measured historical
resources to comply with CIM guidelines as required by NI43-101. They are not current and have not
been verified by the Company.
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