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1 CPD Hour
Wilson Gewargis (MinQuest) will present the MEGWA talk for June 2014. Meet at 5:30 pm, talk commences at 6:00 pm.
Abstract
Iraq is not just a rich country with their oil reserves , shale gas and natural gas potential but its geological and structural development of Iraq had provided a favourable conditions for formation of various range of minerals both (metallic and non metallic) wealth that known to exist in various regions across Iraq. Because the country had been involved in several wars since early 1980’s, had never the opportunity to conduct exploration in modern way even as a country Iraq was amongst the first countries in Middle East to initiate mineral exploration in early 1950’s. Therefore the minerals potential of the country and their resources has never been fully explored by the Iraqi’s or foreign companies in comparison to their oil resources. For example the western desert (Arabian platform) of Iraq has largest marine phosphate deposits almost 10 billion tonne resources which make Iraq the second largest reserves of phosphate in the world after morocco and have 8% of total world reserves. These deposits have excellent infrastructure, very cheap energy, trained labourer and technical manpower but never been fully exploited and explored and they are just sitting there and waiting for a company with vision to develop these resources.
In addition to above there are salt mines, industry minerals (such as gypsum, limestone, dolomite and marble) enormous proven reserves of 95% quartz sand (SIO2) which has great potential for solar energy industry to be developed, and heavy mineral sand, bauxite, ironstones, Glauberite, Celestine, Porcelanite (Opal) that exist in the western desert (Arabian Platform). These industrial minerals and rocks are very important commodities that are needed for advance construction business in the region and surrounding countries and others minerals such as uranium and gold yet to be discovered.
The northern region of Iraq the Kurdistan region (Zagros Suture Zone) 140 km long by 20 km wide along the border with Turkey and the eastern part along the Iranian border has great potential for finding excellent metallic deposits such as strata bound Zinc and Lead, Copper Cyprus style massive sulphide in the ophiolite belt, basic and ultra basic Chromium and Nickel, Iron , Manganese (contact metamorphic), and Barite associated with Zn/Pb deposit, the largest native and natural Sulphur deposit in the world and with the phosphate rich in the western desert and abundant of natural gas Iraq can be one of the most advance country in the world in fertilizer industry, and other minerals such as Gold and Iron that yet have to be discovered.
The potential for mineral reserves discovery and production in Iraq is great with little exploration effort needed. There is a great diversity of high quality minerals and many of these have large reserves and multiple industry uses.
Iraq also benefits from its strategic location and close to both major economic power houses India and China as a major markets for its resources development. The country has well trained engineers and geologists to cover the exploration industry needs. It also had a good geological cover mapping over entire country and potential areas with detailed mapping 1:20000 and there are geological reports and surveys conducted over major mineralized provinces since as early as 1950’s with major oil exploration and seismic survey data that are available for review and study.
English language is widely spoken and most of the database and reports are in English language. In addition a low cost energy for any major discovery, excellent infrastructures, water resources make the country very attractive for exploration. Moreover and since 2003 the law for mineral investment has changed, in term of monopolies on controlling the mineral sector in the country. Iraq had adopted a free market approach and develop a good incentive programmes to encourage local and foreign companies to get involve in development of these unexploited mineral resources. Still there are some risk involved in exploring Iraq, depend on the region. Therefore northern part of Iraq the Kurdistan region is total safe to work and most of the metallogenic deposits are there and have no foreign competitions at all and it is consider an excellent time to get involve. Like any or all the Middle Eastern countries or Africa still there lots steps to cross and government red tape to put up with , but knowing how to operate in these local and regional environment make thing happen very quick and very easy too. The western technology and expertise are always most welcome with Iraqi government, which has been shown and prove through several international technical presentation by the government official in London and Middle East over past years and also the Iraq officials enthusiasm to give all the necessary support for the foreign companies in general .
About the Speaker
Wilson Gewargis graduated in geology from university of Mosul, Iraq and worked over entire country with the underground water resources division, he left Iraq to Europe to continue with his post graduate studies, then in 1973 migrate to Canada, where he started his career as mine geologist working with Newmont Corp for over five years, then work with Amax Canada/Canada Tungsten where he was instrument in discovery of tungsten deposit in 1979 in Yukon, then he worked with several underground gold producers in BC, Canada. From 1984-2000 , he worked as independent consultant geologist based in Vancouver, Canada where he worked on various projects in Canada, western USA, Brazil, China, Indonesia, Western Africa, and Middle East region.
In year 2000 move to Australia and work on several Cyprus ophiolite massive sulphide deposits , and also worked on his part-time PhD research program on the geochemistry of gold mineralization within the Samail Ophiolite Belt of Sultanate of Oman, first with the University of Technology Sydney and then, at New South Wales University . Since 2005, he has been working on various projects with various companies on various commodities in NSW, Queensland, Northern Territories and Western Australia.
Because on his wide range of field experience, knowledge and local contacts he still focus and working on projects generation mainly on island of Cyprus, Middle East (Sultanate of Oman, Saudi Arabia and Iraq) and Northern Africa (Morocco) and most recently Indonesia.
