Other mineral commodities produced in the country included cement, copper, gold, gypsum, petroleum, salt, and steel.
The sharp increase in copper and gold production was owing to the opening of the Guelb Mohgrein Mine in late 2006.
the number of foreign companies applying for prospecting licenses was increasing, and projects were at various stages ranging from grassroots exploration to mine development.
The Mauritanian Office of Geological Research was the government entity responsible for evaluating areas of mineral potential for exploration.
La Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière (SNIM) was responsible for iron ore production and beneficiation.
[2] First Quantum Minerals Ltd. of Canada produced its first copper in concentrate from the Guelb Moghrein copper-gold mine in July 2006; commercial production began in October 2006. the guelb Moghrein Mine is located in the inchiri region near the town of akjoujt about 250 kilometers (km) northeast of nouakchott.
the mine was expected to reach its designed capacity of 30,000 metric tons per year (t/yr) of copper concentrate by the first half of 2007.
[2] A three-stage bankable feasibility study for the development of the Guelb El Aouj iron ore project was underway during the year.
Perth-based Sphere investments Ltd. of Australia (SiL) was to fund the first $11 million to earn a 50% interest in the project, which consisted of a 17-million-metric-ton-per-year (Mt/yr) iron ore open pit mine, and a 7-Mt/yr beneficiation and direct-reduced-iron (dri) pelletizing plant.
SiL expected to complete the bankable feasibility study by the second quarter of 2007, to begin construction work by 2008, and to produce the first DRI pellets by the second half of 2010. the life of the mine was projected to be 30 years.