info@saharagold.net
Phone: 00971 6 555 3651
Sahara Gold Corporation is a gold exploration and development company founded in Mauritania by three partners, with offices in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and an extensive network of mining professionals in Africa, Asia (including the Middle East), Australia, Europe and North America.
In 2011, a senior Mauritanian geologist, Dr Sid Ahmed Reyoug approached Dr Karamo Sonko with an opportunity and a trust that he could not resist. At that time, Dr Sonko was Vice President of Shark Minerals in Mauritania, a Canadian junior exploration company, after serving for four years as Vice President and Deputy Director General of Tasiast Mauritania Limited. Tasiast was a Red Back Mining subsidiary which had made one of the biggest discoveries of gold in Africa during the preceding 30 years.
Dr Reyoug, who had been working with an Australian junior exploration company in Northeast Mauritania, which had left the country, invited Dr Sonko to form a partnership with him to apply for licenses in the same area. Subsequently, Dr Sonko also invited another Mauritanian friend who is a former banker and actuarial scientist to join Dr Reyoug and himself.
Over the years, the two gentlemen were involved in various projects in different parts of Africa, including major natural resource discoveries, but maintained their interest in this part of Mauritania revealed by Dr Reyoug. Opinions from their network of competent international geologists shows the area to be one of the most prospective in Africa, with the potential for building the next big gold mine in Mauritania.
In December 2023, the partners finally secured three separate titles over the most explored part of the grounds where earlier exploration, including drilling, had exposed tremendous potential through the assay results obtained, ranging from 1g/t to 437 g/t of gold.
We have three (3) exploration permits, in one of the two most prospective parts of Mauritania for the exploration of gold. We have a land package covering 1,335 square kilometers.
In addition to earlier assessments, the partners have undertaken due diligence in this area since December 2023, assessing previous work and simulating the present and future potential of the licenses.
The principals of Sahara Gold have experience and networks throughout Africa and the Middle East. Therefore, we have recently prepared a roadmap or expansion plan to acquire licenses in different countries and parts of both regions.
H.E. Kgalema Motlanthe
Former President of the Republic of South Africa
Principal Advisor on Government Relations
The partners in Sahara Gold Corporation strongly believe in sustainable mining.
Dr Sonko, the Chairman, is a leading authority on sustainability with more than two decades of experience in corporate governance, environmental stewardship and community and government relations, among others. Ms. Mariama Sonko is a GRI certified sustainability professional and is the Vice President of Sustainability and Impact at Sahara Gold. Dr Sonko and Mariama are co-authors of the first book ever on comprehensive holistic Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG).
The book was published by Palgrave Macmillan (London and New York) and launched during COP28 (December 2023) in Dubai, in Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.
Book Name – Demystifying Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
Authors: Karamo NM Sonko , Mariama Sonko
Together with their extensive global networks of sustainability professionals, they intend to apply innovative sustainable mining principles and practices in Sahara Gold. These would make the projects outstanding and in line with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the African Union’s (AU) Agenda 2063.
Tentative Roadmap for Years 1-6 and beyond
Year 1 to Year 2:
Step 1: Register Management Company in the UAE, prepare work programme, hire geologists. (Done)
Step 2: Raise money for Nsour Permit of Sahara Gold only, leaving Nsour Sud Ouest & Oued El Ma in the name of BIG Consultancy (our second titleholder/company)
Step 3: Implement minimum work program/drilling and funds for other expenses.
Step 4: Analyse the results.
Step 5: Based on the results, do either: A) IPO or B) Look for bigger investor(s)/partner(s).
Value proposition: Sell a minority stake in the company and enable shareholders to derive returns from an IPO or partnership with bigger investor or operator
Timeline for Above: 1-2 years
Year 3-4: Further exploration and Scoping Study
Year 4-5: Exploration continues, Feasibility study and search for financing of mine begins
Year 5-6: Project Financing and Pre-Construction begins
Value/Sources of returns for investors: Shares and/or partnership with a bigger investor(s)
- News and Announcements
31 January 2024
We have completed our work programme which began on the 1st of November 2024 and has now ended on the 31st of January 2025. It resulted in the digging of 25 trenches and the completion of digging 1,041 soil sample points. All the trenches dug have Lithology and Veins records. 4483 samples were taken (including standards and blanks) from the trenches since we first started digging the trenches until the end of the mission. All of the samples were submitted to the ALS Nouakchott (MMM Labs) laboratory for mechanical preparation. The samples have now arrived at ALS Laboratory in Ireland and we are awaiting the results.
On the 14th of January 2025, we honored an invitation to attend a special session of the Future Mining Forum (FMF) 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This session was organised by the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources. Here is what we achieved during our trip:
1) A pitch to investors in the presence of senior government officials in the special session of about 60 participants, out of a total officially reported number of 20,000 participants at this year’s Forum. Our Vice-President for Sustainability and Impact made the pitch and she excelled.
2) Meetings with Australian and Canadian investors.
3) Meetings with present and former Mining Ministers from Africa.24 November 2024
Soil Sampling begins.
21 November 2024
The laboratory reports in November 2024 from the internationally known and accredited MSALABS, are showing the re-assaying results for gold in 40 initial pulp samples. They are all showing significant values except 3. We have carried out detailed statistical analysis confirming harmony with the results of the previous explorer whose team intersected 1g/t to 437g/t. Ongoing artisanal mining has already proved them right even before we started our exploration!
Please note that the re-assaying was done by fire-assay and repeated for greater certainty to eliminate doubt. We have a lot more samples on the way from trenching, soil sampling, RC and DD in our overhauled work programme already underway.
1 November 2024
Sahara Gold embarks on active work program ahead of schedule: discovering visible gold and encouraging results.
Project Progress Update since 1st October 2024- Arrival and meeting of expat geologists to with Chief Geologist to review historic data and assess and develop an initial work program for the Conchita project in order to progress it to a JORC compliant resource.
- Established an initial triple-method re-assaying program of holes consisting of pulp samples to determine best assay method for the Conchita project. Samples dispatched to the internationally recognized MSA LABS branch in Nouakchott on 21st of October 2024 and results expected in about 14 days.
- Completion of planning of an initial trenching and drill program for 2024.
- Relogging and Interpretation of RC chips of previous holes from the 2012 Conchita drill program so as to better correlate mineralisation with geology to be completed before end of October 2024.
- Field Crews due to leave for Site by the end of October. Field work expected to commence at the start of November.
Project Progress from December 2023 to September 2024- Drilling expected to begin in late November/early December 2024
- Sables Sustainability Mining Company Consultancy, management contractor of Sahara Gold, set up in Abu Dhabi— August 2024
- Technical due diligence by independent competent person of international reputation completed— May 2024
- Sahara and sister company, BIG Consulting, permits granted— December 2023