Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Saleh Kharabsheh on Saturday stressed the importance of a copper exploration project in the southern region of Wadi Araba being implemented by the Jordan Integrated for Mining and Exploration Company under a memorandum of understanding signed last year. During a tour of the project in Wadi Al-Jariya, south of the Dana Natural Reserve, the minister described the results of studies as “positive”, based on findings of 3.5 percent of copper ore concentrations amid rising global demand for the mineral, pointing to other elements of value that are associated with copper. Kharabsheh said three local and international companies are currently prospecting for copper ore in the Kingdom, in addition to a project by the Ministry underway, noting that the national economic modernization vision attached great importance to the mining sector as a motor of value-added industries. The Ministry, he said, has signed 13 memorandums of understanding for exploration of copper ore, lithium, gold, rare earth elements and rock potash and phosphate, and is working to speed up various mining operations with its partners in the sector. He also said another copper mining project in Dana is being implemented in line with international environmental standards, applying strict mining requirements as the region is home to an important natural reserve. During his tour, the minister was briefed on the progress of work in surface exploration of porphyry copper deposits, sample collection and excavation of trenches and exploratory wells in the region, noting studies to assess copper ore reserves in the region and determine the economic feasibility of mining them. Director of the mining company Zuhair Hassanin said excavations began in Dana last year with the exploratory work, adding that his company is currently testing samples in laboratories in Austria and Turkey, where the results showed higher concentrations in copper ore in three regions than previous studies revealed.

Source: Jordan News Agency