Who are we ?

SUDMINE is a simplified joint stock company under French law created in January 2013 by 36 shareholders, with a capital of €227,000. The company brings together a highly diversified set of skills applicable to the mining industry (geologists, metallogeneers, mining environmentalists and public works engineers). With projects in French Guiana, mainland France and Gabon, it is tending to expand, notably through the establishment of partnerships.

SUDMINE works in particular on coltan and gold exploration and exploitation projects. New projects are being considered for strategic metals such as lithium, both in France and abroad.

SUDMINE's objectives for 2020 are :

Develop its ethical coltan project in French Guiana
Search for mining and financial partners
To carry out new research permit applications for coltan and other strategic metals in French Guiana, mainland France and Gabon
Participate in the development of French Guiana for strategic metals by responding to social and environmental issues with a participatory, reasoned economic model that respects the populations, the environment and the local heritage and dynamic

Our approach

Some topics related to the small size and ease of access of the sites, may make it possible to dispense with certain steps or at least reduce their duration and costs. It is then possible for SUDMINE to start the exploitation study directly.

"Upstream" exploration

In order to develop its mining projects, SUDMINE must first implement all upstream exploration methods, including :

the geological bibliography,
the bibliography on metals,
the mining bibliography,
the interpretation of metals,
the selection of exploration targets,
interpretation of literature reviews for selected targets,
the first geological assessments in the field,
investigation of the main constraints, utility easements, sensitivity related to the selected targets,

Then, based on the promising targets identified in the first stage, SUDMINE applies for exclusive mining exploration licences to be protected in subsequent field investigations.

"Light" exploration

In a second phase, SUDMINE implements "light" exploration methods, namely :

field geology (cartography, structure, mineralogy)
sampling and analysis of bottom sediments, "stream sediments", soils and geological outcrops,
manual or motorized auger drilling,

This is followed by a more exhaustive investigation of constraints, utility easements, sensitivity related to the chosen subject with a pre-feasibility study.

SUDMINE then introduces presentation files relating to the confirmed targets, in order to seek investors, which will enable the next step, the detailed recognition of the deposits, to be carried out.

"Heavy" exploration

In a third step, the "heavy" exploration can then be started. In particular, with :

aerial geophysics
destructive sampling
core drilling
an analysis program
treatment tests
a feasibility study
cubage evaluations

The investor's financial support enables SUDMINE to hire qualified teams for the implementation of the works.

If the conclusion of this third stage is positive, it is then necessary for the mining company created for this purpose to seek new investors to develop the entire mining project.

This stage includes the transformation of the previous exclusive mining exploration licence into a mining exploitation licence.