Nigeria and its tin fields

This company has been formed to acquire the exclusive rights to prospect for minerals, mineral oils, and precious stones over an area of 3 square miles, situated about 4 miles south of Bukeru, in the well-known Bauchi Tin Fields of Northern Nigeria.

The property is situated on the top of the Bukeru Watershed, a basin heavily watered with small streams running through the whole area, which is stated to be alluvial, and all the ground is tin-bearing from the top to the bottom of the pits, which have been sunk to a depth of about 15 feet. Mr. Lush, the consulting engineer to the principal Nigerian tin mining companies, who thinks well of the property, has consented to act as consulting engineer for this company.

A party, consisting of four engineers with boring plant and stores, has already sailed for Nigeria to take possession of and work this property, as well as two other properties belonging to the Gongola Syndicate, Limited, and arrangements have been made for giving to this company the benefit of this organisation, on payment of a proportion of the charges incurred and to be incurred in connection therewith. There will be set aside £20,000 of the capital for working capital, of which 10,000 shares will be subscribed for immediately.

The purchase consideration is 30,000 fully-paid shares to be allotted to the Wadu Syndicate or its nominees, and the right to subscribe at par for the unissued capital of the company.

It may be mentioned that it is estimated that a profit of at least £45 per ton of ore will be obtained, taking the actual price at £90 per ton and deducting £15 for the cost of working and £30 for transport, &c., which latter item will shortly be considerably reduced.

RIBON VALLEY (NIGERIA) TIN FIELDS, Ltd.

This company has acquired a most extensive property—nine miles in extent—and holds it under an exclusive prospecting licence from the Northern Nigerian Government. So far the prospectus has only been privately issued. The licence carries with it the right to select areas for mining purposes for periods of twenty-one years, at an annual rental of 5s. per acre, and a royalty on the mineral output. The property is situated on the head-waters of the river Gongola, the river flowing through the area being locally known as the Ribon. It is about 20 miles south-east of Naraguta, and within easy reach of the main transport route. There is a constant and unlimited supply of water, and a large quantity of timber suitable for fuel. The labour is plentiful, cheap, and suitable for alluvial mining. The costs are put approximately at £20 per ton of black tin, of a minimum of 70 per cent. Mr. H. W. Laws, M.I.M.M., the chief mining engineer of the Niger Company, says: “I consider the area has excellent prospects of proving very large and profitable, and that in selecting land for mining purposes it will probably be necessary to acquire two, and perhaps three, separate leases, owing to its unusually large extent.” An engineer of wide experience and an assistant has left London for the property, and Mr. Walter Wethered, who is paying his third visit to the Nigerian tin field, is to attend to the Company’s interests on the spot. The intention is that the Ribon Company shall become one of the parent kind, because it is quite impossible that, unaided, it can develop so large a sett.

THE REIN RIVER (NIGERIA) TIN MINING CO., Ltd.

This company has acquired an exclusive prospecting licence over about 1,440 acres of alluvial tin-bearing ground, situated at Forum on the Rein River, in the Province of Bauchi, which is at present the richest known tin district in Northern Nigeria. From this district alone over one thousand tons of tin have already been won. The property extends for a distance of about three miles along the river. Hand-washing by calabashes and simple sluice-boxes, using a stream of water, have been employed, and this method will be adopted by this company for the present.

ESTIMATES

By comparison with the results obtained in the district it is estimated that, when the property is opened out, an output of 50 tons a month or 600 tons a year of “Black Tin” should be obtained, and the following results may be anticipated on the basis of the report:—

By about March the new freight conditions should be in force, which would increase the estimated nett profit to about £29,000 per annum.

Life and Tonnage.—Assuming Mr. Wethered’s figures that more than two-thirds of the area carries 3 to 5 lbs. per cubic yard for a depth of from 1 to 4 yards, the following is an estimate of the tonnage of tin and the life of the property:—

Management.—An arrangement has been made with the Lucky Chance Mines Limited, for the superintendence of the company’s interests, and for organising the work under a suitable manager.

The following report by Mr. Walter Wethered, one of the pioneers of the Northern Nigeria Tin Fields, was made on the original concession, which comprised an area of six miles along the river, of which this company have acquired one half.

“This property is situated on the south-eastern side of the Bauchi tin fields, between the pagan towns of Forum and Rein.

“The area encloses about six miles of a stream flowing in a northerly direction from Rein to Forum, where it junctions with the system of rivers on which the Ribon, Bisichi, Doss, and other properties are situated.

“The area is three-quarters of a mile wide by six miles long, an extent of four and a half square miles, practically the whole of which is tin-bearing alluvial. The alluvium is composed of a sandy material of an extremely free nature, and the bottom is the usual coarse grey granite. The latter outcrops in very few places, and carries from about a yard to four yards of alluvial ground. Although the bottom could be reached in only a few places in the stream bed, good prospects of black tin were obtained in nearly all samples panned, and from the alluvial flats, as exposed by the banks of the stream, the results ran from about 3 to 5 lbs. of tin per cubic yard. The panning concentrates contained 10 to 15 per cent. of titaniferous iron sand (which was allowed for), but this mineral presents no difficulty, and can be easily eliminated by the ordinary dressing operations.

“The width of the property (three-quarters of a mile) does not include the whole of the large alluvial flats that occur on either side of the river, but having secured the river and so much of the adjacent ground, these flats are protected, and, if necessary, may be taken up when the land for mining purposes is selected.

“Of the area staked, certainly more than two-thirds carries alluvial ground of the thickness given above. Except in the bed of the stream, I would not expect rich patches, but a fairly uniform value throughout.

Water.—There is a continuous flow of water for sluicing purposes all the year round.

Grades.—Cannot be determined without survey, but at the lower (Forum) end of the property there is sufficient fall to allow the tailings to be inexpensively dealt with.

Costs.—Will compare favourably with other mines in the district, i.e. with ground of moderate value the costs would amount to between £10 and £15 per ton of black tin, and present transport charges £27 10s. per ton inclusive.

“Final tests of the flats are capable of being cheaply and quickly carried out by means of trial pits; boring is unnecessary. The probability is that the workable ground will prove to be of too large an area to be included in one mining lease, and that it will be necessary to split the present area into two or more properties.”