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RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHNM #0672/01 1771436
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 261436Z JUN 06 ZDK ZEL
FM AMEMBASSY NIAMEY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2534
INFO RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI 0022
RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 0126
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 0372
RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS 3312
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0162
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0033
RUEHKG/AMEMBASSY KINGSTON 0099
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0114
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 0236
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 0547
RUEHOU/AMEMBASSY OUAGADOUGOU 8529
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0443
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT 1676
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0226
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0106
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS NIAMEY 000672 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
C O R R E C T E D COPY (CAPTION ADDED) 
 
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: BTIO EINV EMIN ENRG EPET ECON ELAB PREL PINR
NG 
SUBJECT: NIGER:  GROWING INTEREST IN NIGER'S OIL AND 
MINERAL WEALTH BY FOREIGN FIRMS 
 
REF: A.) NIAMEY 1285 04 B.) NIAMEY 522 
 
¶1.  BEGIN SUMMARY.  (SBU) Over the past six months, there has 
been growing interest in Niger's mining and oil sectors  by 
foreign investors, notably from China, Canada and France.  As 
indicated below, the GON is pushing hard to attract 
investment in the gold, uranium and oil sectors, and to 
improve the regulatory and investment climate for the 
extractive sector in general.  One representative of a 
Canadian firm interested in prospecting for Nigerien uranium 
described Niger as a low risk, high return opportunity for 
natural resource exploration, with a stable government whose 
natural resources have been exploited on a very limited 
scale.  END SUMMARY. 
 
---- 
GOLD 
---- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) During the month of June Econoff Gage met with 
industry and GON representatives, including the Secretary 
General (SG) of the Nigerien Ministry of Mines and Energy, 
Mr. Abdoul Razak Ahmad to discuss potential investment 
oppurtunities in the gold, uranium and petroleum sectors. The 
Econoff's meeting with Mr. Ahmad followed the first ever 
UEMOA Mining and Telecom Conference held in Niamey, Niger 
 
SIPDIS 
from June 7 through June 9, 2006. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The gold mining region is located principally in 
the Liptako (far western) and Air (north central mountains) 
regions of Niger.  Within the Liptako region, gold and 
substances commonly associated with its discovery, such as 
bronze, zinc and copper, can be found.  It is an area of 
ancient artisanal gold mines that presently hosts one modern, 
industrial gold mining operation, Samira Hill (see reftel A), 
owned by the Government of Niger (GON), Canadian and Moroccan 
interests. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The SG stated that the GON has created 17 blocks of 
territory in the Liptako region and one block south of the 
south central Nigerien city of Maradi for gold exploration. 
Of these 18 blocks, permits for exploration have been awarded 
for nine.  Presently, the GON has requests for permits for 
exploration for four other blocks and five blocks remain 
without a suitor.  The firms requesting permits hail from 
Canada, the Cayman Islands and Niger.  Orezone, a Canadian 
gold exploration firm, is presently working on the Kossa 
exploration project in Niger. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) EMBASSY COMMENT.  Increased development of the 
formal gold mining sector will not only increase GDP and GON 
revenues, it will also provide impetus to curtail informal 
mining with its concommitant problems of child labor and the 
spread of HIV/AIDS. END COMMENT. 
 
------- 
URANIUM 
------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Niger is the third largest producer of uranium in 
the world.  All of this production presently comes from just 
two mines.  From 1987 through 2002, the price of uranium was 
weak.  However, with the increasing price of uranium on world 
markets generated by rising energy demand and interest in 
using energy that does not produce greenhouse gases, Niger is 
being targeted for increased uranium exploration.  Uranium 
yellowcake produced by the present Nigerien mines has a 
constant price for three year intervals due to agreements 
between the producers and customers.  Prior to 2002, the 
agreed upon price proved to be higher than the world market. 
From 2003 to the present, the agreed upon price has been 
lower than the world market price, i.e., the customers of 
 
 
Niger's present uranium yellowcake producers could make a 
profit, if they sold their share on the open market. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The GON has designated 63 blocks for uranium 
exploration, of which 2 include coal rights.  For 7 of these 
blocks, permits have been awarded to 4 firms.  These 4 firms 
are Canadian, French and Nigerien.  Presently, the French 
firm of Areva produces uranium yellowcake in Niger in 
partnership with the GON, European and Japanese interests. 
Firms requesting permits in the blocks not already awarded 
have Burkinabe, Canadian, Chinese, French, Ghanaian, 
Nigerien, Nigerian and UAE origins. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Econoff learned during the recent UEMOA Mining and 
Telecom Conference that North Atlantic Resources, Ltd., via a 
subsidiary known as Solier, and Northwestern Mineral 
Ventures, Inc.  were interested in uranium exploration in 
Niger.  Both firms have Canadian origins.  Northwestern holds 
a permit from the GON for uranium exploration in the Irhazar 
and In Gall blocks.  The firm's representative was very 
bullish on prospects for finding uranium in these blocks 
following preliminary studies. It was also predicted at the 
conference that growing Chinese demand for nuclear power 
could lead to the construction of up to forty new nuclear 
reactors by 2020. 
 
--- 
OIL 
--- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Exxon/Mobil made a discovery of approximately 350 
million barrels of oil in Niger.  However, they recently left 
Niger per reftel B.  A Canadian industry expert attending the 
conference told ECONOFF that with current high world oil 
prices, the Exxon/Mobil find is immediately commercially 
viable.  Other firms continue to prospect for oil in Niger 
and with rising oil prices Niger's remoteness becomes a 
smaller barrier to oil production and exportation. 
 
¶10. (SBU) The SG mentioned that there are 14 blocks of 
territory assigned by the GON for oil exploration.  Of these 
14 blocks, 3 are presently attributed to Canadian, Chinese 
and Algerian firms.  Ten other permits are being requested by 
three Australian, two English, two Canadian, two Chinese, one 
Algerian and one Nigerian firm.  Sonatrach, the state owned 
Algerian oil and gas company, is exploring for oil in Niger 
in the Kafra block.  It is hoping to receive a permit for 
exploration in the Niger/Algeria border region of Tafassasset 
as well.  The China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) via 
its subsidiary China National Oil and Gas Exploration and 
Development Corporation (CNODC) is actively searching for oil 
in the Bilma and Tenere blocks. 
 
------------------------ 
LEGISLATION,LABOR AND 
SHARING WEALTH, 
------------------------ 
 
¶11.  (SBU) The SG recognizes that Niger has yet to award 
permits to some firms that have made requests.  He noted that 
Niger must finish revisions to its mining and petroleum 
codes.  The revisions are complete at the executive level and 
now need to be passed by the National Assembly.  The SG 
estimates passage by the Assembly will be complete in 
approximately one month, at which point the GON can finish 
awarding permits for exploration blocks. 
 
¶12.  (SBU) Econoff asked the SG if thought had been given to 
how Niger would use its mineral and oil wealth, in light of 
Chad and other developing countries' experiences.  The SG 
stated that since March 2005 ten percent of the receipts the 
GON receives from mining and petroleum related activities in 
 
 
Niger have been dedicated to the regions where exploration 
and production is taking place.  In addition, regulations 
ordered by the Prime Minister (PM) requiring open disclosure 
of GON mining and petroleum revenues are in place.  The GON 
needs to create institutions to enforce these regulations. 
 
¶13.  (SBU) Last year it was reported in the Nigerien press 
that the China National Oil and Gas Exploration and 
Development Corporation (CNODC), a subsidiary of the China 
National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), was accused by some of 
its workers of mistreatment.  CNODC has two oil exploration 
sites in Niger, northeast of the city of Agadez.  The SG 
responded to the Econoff's inquiry regarding worker 
mistreatment by stating that the Ministry of Mines and Energy 
shares the responsibility for enforcing workplace protections 
with the Ministry of Labor.  The GON has a regional 
committee, based in Agadez, that investigated the complaints 
of these workers.  The SG went on to say that approximately a 
week before he and Econoff spoke, the issue of worker 
mistreatment was raised again.  Thus, he promises the 
committee will send a mission shortly to investigate.  For 
the moment oil exploration work has ceased due to extreme 
heat and the SG expects that it will resume in July, when 
temperatures are relatively lower. 
 
¶14.  (SBU) EMBASSY COMMENT:  The GON appears serious about 
promoting Niger as a destination for natural resource 
exploration and production, and the mining conference was by 
far the most professionally run trade promotion event in our 
historical memory.  The SG had a very good grasp of his 
subject and provided the Econoff with two CDs produced by the 
Ministry of Mines and Energy.  One CD is titled "Petroleum 
Potential of Niger May 2006" and the other is labeled 
"Mineral Potential."  Econoff will provide copies to regional 
commercial officer in Dakar, Senegal.  END COMMENT. 
ALLEN