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Minerals
Special Issues
Exploring and Unlocking Africa’s Mineral Wealth: Current Advances and Future...
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Exploring and Unlocking Africa’s Mineral Wealth: Current Advances and Future Prospects

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Exploration Methods and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2025) | Viewed by 2737

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Bekir Genc

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mining Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Interests: mine planning and optimization; spontaneous combustion; computer applications in mining; machine learning
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Moshood Onifade

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Innovation, Science and Sustainability, Federation University Australia, Ballarat, VIC 3353, Australia
Interests: spontaneous combustion and coal applications; clean energy minerals; sustainable mining; soft computing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Thierry De Putter

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Belgian Science Policy Office (Belspo), Bd Simon Bolivar 30, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium
Interests: Paleoproterozoic sedimentary deposits; supergene ore deposits; Cu-Co-U, Mn and Fe deposits; Africa; D.R. Congo; artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM)
Dr. Michel Villeneuve

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
OSU Pytheas, Aix-Marseille University, Centre St Charles, Case 48, 3, Place Victor Hugo, 13331 Marseille CEDEX 03, France
Interests: geodynamic; tectonic; paleogeography; natural hazards; North Africa; West Africa; Central Africa; South East Asia; Vietnam; Pan-African belts; Variscan belts; Alpine orogens

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Africa’s vast and varied terrain is rich in mineral resources such as coal, bauxite, tin, gold, silver, copper, uranium, cobalt, coltan and more, all of which are vital for global manufacturing. The GDP, export revenue, and general economic well-being of Africa are greatly impacted by the mining and extractive sectors. The mining and mineral industries in Africa face many of the same challenges that plague the mining industry worldwide. These challenges include the effects of the environment and climate change, trade disagreements, geopolitical unrest, varying demand, advancements in technology, and a lack of qualified maintenance personnel. In this Special Issue of Minerals, we aim to collate papers that discuss Africa’s mineral wealth, focusing on current advances and future prospects. For this Special Issue, we invite submissions from all researchers interested in mineral endowment and who wish to discuss the different commodities mined in Africa. We welcome papers that highlight new technologies in the sustainable development of mining and environment-related papers that shed light on future opportunities within mining. Works that develop methodological approaches and frameworks; studies of environmental, social, and governance (ESG)-related topics; and studies discussing how we might shape the future of minerals in Africa will form the basis of this Special Edition.

Prof. Dr. Bekir Genc
Dr. Moshood Onifade
Dr. Thierry De Putter
Dr. Michel Villeneuve
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • minerals
  • Africa
  • mining
  • sustainable development
  • environment
  • ESG

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 2884 KiB  
Article
Establishing a UG2 Pillar Strength Formula in South African Platinum Mines
by Bryan Watson, Tatenda Maphosa, Willie Theron, Noel Fernandes, Thomas Stacey, Andrew Morgan, Andrew Carpede and Gunther Betz
Minerals 2024, 14(11), 1161; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14111161 - 17 Nov 2024
Viewed by 852
Abstract
In this study, the peak strength of chromitite pillars in South African platinum mines is re-examined by comparing laboratory tests to the Upper Group 2 (UG2) PlatMine pillar strength formula and underground measurements. The laboratory results were stronger than the underground measurements and [...] Read more.
In this study, the peak strength of chromitite pillars in South African platinum mines is re-examined by comparing laboratory tests to the Upper Group 2 (UG2) PlatMine pillar strength formula and underground measurements. The laboratory results were stronger than the underground measurements and the strength predicted by the PlatMine formula. The rock mass strength in the PlatMine formula (‘k-value’) was about 70% of the laboratory tests performed on a 50 mm diameter sample. This finding agrees with other researchers who have compared the rock mass strength to laboratory-determined uniaxial compressive strengths. The laboratory tests, underground measurements, and the PlatMine formula all show that the pillars are significantly stronger than traditionally accepted. This finding can help the UG2 mining industry to improve extraction ratios significantly by adopting the PlatMine formula, particularly at deeper levels where bord-and-pillar workings are used. The results presented in this paper will achieve significant revenue creation in the mine where the underground measurements were made. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring and Unlocking Africa’s Mineral Wealth: Current Advances and Future Prospects)
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22 pages, 45054 KiB  
Article
Unearthing Egypt’s Golden Legacy: Geophysical Insights and New Opportunities in the Central Eastern Desert
by Adel Kotb, Gaber M. Gaber, Hassan Alzahrani, Abdurraouf Okok, Mohammed H. Abd Elkhaliq and Alhussein Adham Basheer
Minerals 2024, 14(8), 787; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14080787 - 31 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1260
Abstract
Gold mining in Egypt’s Central Eastern Desert (ECED) has a rich history dating back to the Old Kingdom period. In recent years, there has been renewed interest from international mining companies, and several potential areas for gold mining have been identified. Extensive studies [...] Read more.
Gold mining in Egypt’s Central Eastern Desert (ECED) has a rich history dating back to the Old Kingdom period. In recent years, there has been renewed interest from international mining companies, and several potential areas for gold mining have been identified. Extensive studies have been conducted on the deposition and occurrence of gold in the region, identifying over 100 areas of deposition. Aeromagnetic and radioactive surveys have played a crucial role in locating gold occurrences in ECED by utilizing data from these techniques to identify potential gold deposits. This study utilized geophysical data, including total aeromagnetic intensity (TM) and radiometric data, to identify hydrothermal zones and locate potential areas of gold occurrence. The radiometric ternary map was used to refine the search for gold deposits. Magnetic data were analyzed using edge detection tools to determine the structural framework of the area, facilitating the identification of regions with a high potential for gold occurrence. By integrating these geophysical datasets, this study provided a comprehensive understanding of the geological features and potential for gold mineralization in the study area. The area is divided into four sections by three shear zones, with high magnetic anomalies observed in the southeastern part. The radiometric data revealed that gold occurrence is associated with hydrothermal alteration zones, identified using the K/Th ratio and radiometric ternary map. However, not all these zones contain gold, and the area’s structure and magnetic suitability must be considered when selecting suitable locations for gold extraction. The study area presents a promising opportunity for gold exploration, with the integration of edge detection and radiometric analysis being crucial in identifying suitable locations for exploration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring and Unlocking Africa’s Mineral Wealth: Current Advances and Future Prospects)
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