The Maevatanana Project, located approximately one hundred and fifty kilometers north from Antananarivo,
occurs within the central northwest province of Mahajanga. The project comprises one hundred and eleven
squares and the area under tenure totals nearly seven hundred square kilometers. Project title is one
hundred percent (100%) in the name of PAMM.
Access
Access to the project is either east from Antananarivo, along the bitumen Route Nationale-2 for approximately
one hundred and ten kilometers, to the regional town of Moramanga, then north and west, along Route Secondaires
for approximately two hundred kilometers; or, northwest from Antananarivo, along the Route Nationale-4 for
approximately one hundred and fifty kilometers immediately past the small town of Mahatsipolo where rough
local roads lead northeast to the project area.
The southeast to northwest flowing Betsiboka River flows through the centre of the project. Within
the project area this river is impassable and the river serves to divide the Maevatanana project into a
western half and an eastern half (fig. A4-1). The Betsiboka in places is as wide as three hundred metres,
with depths of eleven metres and more. General project infrastructure is considered moderate, with
relatively difficult road access.
The Maevatanana project occurs within the southern half of the well-known Tsaratanana Mineral Field.
The Tsaratanana Mineral Field extends for approximately two hundred and fifty kilometers, in a north– south
direction, and for approximately eighty kilometers in an east–west direction.
Dominant rock types within the mineral field are talc, chlorite and tremolite schist, amphibolite,
quartzite and biotite gneiss. The mineral field is bounded to the west and to the east by granitic
migmatite. The rock types within the Tsaratanana Mineral Field have complex interbedding (from Andriamena
1 :200,000 Geological Map, 1951 ; Direction de la Geologie Library, Antananarivo). From Besairie (1966),
The Tsaratanana Mineral Field has been placed within the 2.7 to 3.0 Ga System du Vohibory (Besairie, 1973).
The Madagascar mineral inventory (Direction de la Geologie Library, Antananarivo ) shows numerous mineral
occurrences in the Maevatanana project area, in particular gold and chrome, but also Platinum Group Metals
(PGM's), industrial minerals and uranium. The area has a long history of artisanal gold workings, principally
alluvial as well as pit mining, and was the subject of extensive research carried out by the BRGM over the
course of many years.
Gold
Within the northern parts of the project area, the gold prospects of Tsaramasoandro, Andravainafo, Anjokozoko,
Antsahamamy, Manjaka, Belavenona and Anomadio all occur (fig. A4-1). These seven former gold producing areas
have not been subjected to known exploration and they represent attractive exploration targets.
The Betsiboka River, flowing through the central parts of the project, has witnessed moderate levels
alluvial mining activity for over one hundred years (from archival database, Service de la Geologie Library,
Antananarivo). The Betsiboka River supported several turn-of-the-century attempts at larger scale dredging
operations. Lack of sophisticated equipment and the breadth and depth of the river frustrated most attempts
at alluvial mining operations.
PAMM's project area has several large mafic rock bars on the Betsiboka River. The rock bars and areas
located immediately upstream present prospective alluvial gold traps. PAMM's claims cover an area of
riverbed approximately five km long in the rock bar area. A test dredging programme of these riverbed
gravels might establish a large alluvial gold resource. The mountainous areas immediately to the East and
West are potential bedrock source areas for alluvial gold.
Preliminary exploration programs including mapping, field sampling and trenching would be necessary
to evaluate the potential for bedrock gold deposits.
Chrome
The Maevatanana project is centered around the regional town of Andriamena, historically Madagascar's premier
chrome producing region. PAMM's Maevatanana area licences include numerous colonial chrome anomalies and
prospects (fig. A4-1 ; refer discussion on Chrome).
Platinum
Review of the archival database (Direction de la Geologie Library, Antananarivo), indicates many low-order
PGM anomalies have been generated within, and immediately adjacent to, PAMM's project area A-4 and PAMM's
Maevatanana project is considered to be part of a PGM anomalous region (BRGM, 1985 ; refer discussion on
Platinum Group Metals). A comprehensive exploration and field sampling program would be necessary to
evaluate the commercial PGM potentiality of the project area.
Industrial Minerals
PAMM's project licences are part of the pegmatite-hosted Ankazobe Beryl–Niobium Field (fig. A4-1). From
archival data, beryl and uranium occurrences have been recorded from within, and immediately adjacent
to the project area (refer fig. A4-1).
Choose another Property/Project in Madagascar
Located ~150km north from Antananarivo; Occurs within the central northwest province of Mahajanga.
