Detailed maps and digitised records can help governments identify deposits and attract investment, but they also raise questions about who controls the information. (Image: mykhailo pavlenko/.com)
- Russia is increasing its role in Africa’s geological mapping, joining US and European companies in the search for valuable mineral deposits.
- Mali signed an agreement with Russian state-owned Rosgeologiya to map over half its territory and create a digital geological data management system.
- Mali and its neighbors, such as Burkina Faso and Niger, are strengthening ties with Russia, turning away from traditional Western partners.
- Other foreign entities, like Spain’s Xcalibur and US-based KoBold Metals, are also conducting geological surveys and digitalizing historical records in Africa.
The latest development is an agreement between Russian state-owned geological company Rosgeologiya, also known as RusGeology, and Mali’s Ministry of Mines, signed on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa forum in Moscow on Wednesday, Reuters reported.
Mali, one of Africa’s leading gold producers, is seeking to develop other mineral reration with Russia since the 2020 coup, expanding ties in security, mining and energy as they move away from traditional Western partners. Neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger have followed a similar path
Under the deal, Rosgeologiya’s overseas projects unit, Zarubezhgeologia, will produce geological maps for two areas covering more than half of Mali’s territory, identifying zones considered promising for future mineral exploration. The parties will also develop a digital system to manage geological data, mineral licences and mining oversight.
Zarubezhgeologia chief Alexey Desyatkin said the project would make information about Mali’s mineral renvestors
Mali’s agreement with Russia comes amid a wider push to map Africa’s mineral re
Rosgeologiya’s overseas projects unit, Zarubezhgeologia, will produce geological maps for two areas covering more than half of Mali’s territory, identifying zones considered promising for future mineral exploration (Image: zargeo)zargeo
Russia’s geological mapping activities in Africa predate the Mali agreement.
The state-owned geological group, Rosgeologiya, through its overseas unit Zarubezhgeologia, has undertaken or pursued mapping projects in Sudan, Equatorial Guinea, Angola and the Central African Republic, while the wider group has also reported mineral prospecting work in Algeria.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Spain’s Xcalibur Smart Mapping launched a three-year geological and geophysical survey programme in October covering nearly 700,000 square kilometres. The country is also developing a national geological database, with sensitive information expected to remain under government control.
The competition extends to historical records. US mineral exploration company KoBold Metals has sought to digitise colonial-era geological documents held at Belgium’s AfricaMuseum, which could help identify deposits of copper, cobalt, lithium and other minerals in the DRC.
The effort has and their commercial use, while a separate European Union-backed digitisation project is under way.
These developments highlight the strategic value of geological data. Detailed maps and digitised records can help governments identify deposits, guide licensing and attract investment, but they also raise questions about who controls the information and how it can be used in future mining negotiations.
