Question 1

What is the Mauritanian Mining Code?

Accepted Answer

It is the legislative framework governing exploration for and production of mineral substances in Mauritania: award of titles, holder obligations, fiscal regime, environmental and social requirements, and relations with the State.

Question 2

Who owns subsurface resources?

Accepted Answer

Mineral substances in the subsurface belong to the State. Operators do not acquire ownership: they receive a mining title granting exploration or production rights, limited in time and area.

Question 3

What is the difference between an exploration and an exploitation permit?

Accepted Answer

An exploration permit authorises survey, trenching and drilling work over a defined perimeter, with no right to sell production. An exploitation permit, granted after demonstrating an economically mineable deposit, authorises extraction and sale.

Question 4

How is a mining title obtained?

Accepted Answer

An application is filed with the mining administration, including a technical file, work programme, budget and evidence of the applicant's financial and technical capacity. The requested perimeter must be free of existing titles.

Question 5

Can a mining title be renewed?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Exploration permits are granted for a fixed term and can be renewed, usually with an area reduction and subject to completion of committed work programmes and expenditure.

Question 6

Can a title be transferred or contributed to a joint venture?

Accepted Answer

Transfer, assignment or contribution of a mining title is possible but requires prior approval from the administration. Joint ventures between national and foreign partners are common practice in the sector.

Question 7

What financial obligations apply to holders?

Accepted Answer

They typically combine fixed title fees, a surface rental proportional to the area held, a royalty on production, and the ordinary corporate tax regime.

Question 8

What does the regulation require on environmental matters?

Accepted Answer

Mining projects are subject to an environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) and an associated management plan. Operators must limit environmental harm and restore sites once work is complete.

Question 9

What is local content or Mauritanisation?

Accepted Answer

It covers the obligations designed to channel mining benefits into the national economy: priority recruitment and training of Mauritanian staff, use of local suppliers and progressive transfer of technical skills.

Question 10

Is uranium subject to a specific regime?

Accepted Answer

Uranium and radioactive elements form a distinct substance group, with reinforced requirements for radiation protection, handling, transport and sample tracking, in addition to general mining rules.

Question 11

How is transparency of results ensured?

Accepted Answer

Assay results must be traceable: documented chain of custody, certified laboratories and QA/QC protocols. Periodic activity reports filed with the administration serve the same traceability objective.

Question 12

Can a foreign investor hold a mining project?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The sector is open to foreign capital, subject to the conditions for title award, local content obligations and the tax and customs rules applying to mining companies.

Question 13

What happens at the end of a project?

Accepted Answer

Site closure involves a rehabilitation programme: securing workings, backfilling excavations, dismantling installations and post-closure environmental monitoring.

Question 14

How does MENAJEM operate within this framework?

Accepted Answer

We run our campaigns in compliance with the Mining Code and our joint-venture agreements: systematic ESIA, immediate trench rehabilitation, a QA/QC plan on all assays and continuous training of our local teams.

FAQ: the Mauritanian Mining Code

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