GGMC to take over mineral mapping after contract with US company ends – Bharrat

– company will be doing physical drilling, to also look for lithium deposits

United States (US) based company Global Venture Consulting, which is in Guyana to do an extensive mineral mapping exercise, is also training Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) staff to ensure that they can take over the mineral mapping process when the contract elapses.
This was revealed by Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat, when he was questioned on Friday by the parliamentary opposition during the perusal of the budget estimates for the Ministry of Natural Resources.
“In 2024, there is some amount of data at GGMC, so obviously the project will entail developing a dynamic data integration and modelling platform. The reconnaissance survey was done in 2024, the inception report and strategic road map was done by the company in preparation for the physical survey in 2025,” Bharrat explained.
“The stakeholders engagement plan was drawn up; the environmental baseline work was done. Capacity building, of course we have a number of staff from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, who are being trained by the company. Because when the project is finished, it is expected that the GGMC will continue the process.”
Bharrat acknowledged the costs associated with carrying out a total mineral mapping exercise in all the mining districts. As such, he noted that they will be focusing on the four most active mining districts in Guyana.

“That is why we’ve decided that we’re going to focus primarily on four of the major mining districts in Guyana, namely the North West Mining District, the Mazaruni Mining District, the Potaro Mining District and the Puruni Mining District.”
“These mining districts contain most of the mineralisation. When we speak of updating our mineral map, it’s not only about gold. Because most of the time, we think mining is gold only. What we’ve contracted this company to do is recognise, based on the survey, all minerals that exist in Guyana,” the Minister further said.
In August of last year, the Ministry of Natural Resources had inked the mineral mapping contract with Global Venture Consulting. The project, which the Government hopes will be a multi-year one, will see the firm producing maps to show, among other things, where gold and other mineral deposits are located around the country.
During the launch, Global Ventures Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Emily King had stated that the project will combine traditional techniques with modern technology, including Artificial Intelligence (AI). She had revealed that Guyana is one of the first countries to do this on a national scale.
She had also explained that detailed data maps will be created, featuring target mineral zones, across nine key areas. The Guyana Government is looking to reduce deforestation caused by miners with its mineral mapping exercise, for which some $400 million had been allocated in Budget 2024. The first phase of the project is expected to focus on the main mining districts, such as the Mazaruni, Puruni, and the North-West District.
Meanwhile, Minister Bharrat also revealed that Global Venture Consulting will be conducting physical drilling in addition to its aeromagnetic surveys, in order to verify the mineral deposits. Bharrat also spoke of lithium, with Guyana estimated to have deposits of this precious and sought after material.
Lithium’s uses extend far beyond rechargeable batteries, but many predict that this application will dominate demand for the metal in coming years. Given the growing importance of energy metals and lithium-ion batteries, securing a consistent supply of lithium is a top priority for technology companies around the world.
“This project here, part of this project is to look to see if we have those critical minerals in Guyana. Which includes lithium. As you know, it’s a very sought after material, especially with commitments around the world moving towards renewable energy,” Bharrat explained in the National Assembly.
Back in 2017, Australian company, Greenpower Energy, and Canada-based Guyana Strategic Metals (GSM) Incorporated, had done some exploration for rare earth minerals and lithium in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), to see if the area has enough deposits to make it profitable for mining.