The Ministry of Mines and Hydrocarbons of
Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea ( es, Guinea Ecuatorial; french: Guinée équatoriale; pt, Guiné Equatorial), officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea ( es, link=no, República de Guinea Ecuatorial, french: link=no, République de Guinée équatoria ...
is the public administration body in charge of the
mining industry and fossil fuels.
It is based in
Malabo
Malabo ( , ; formerly Santa Isabel) is the capital of Equatorial Guinea and the province of Bioko Norte. It is located on the north coast of the island of Bioko, ( bvb, Etulá, and as ''Fernando Pó'' by the Europeans). In 2018, the city had a p ...
. The current minister is Don Antonio Oburu Ondo, appointed in 2023.
History
The production of minerals such as gold and iron in Equatorial Guinea began in the pre-colonial period, although it did not reach commercial levels until after the Spanish era, while agriculture and forestry were the pillars of the colonial economy.
After independence, studies carried out by geologists from the Soviet Union (1975), the French
Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières
Bureau ( ) may refer to:
Agencies and organizations
* Government agency
*Public administration
* News bureau, an office for gathering or distributing news, generally for a given geographical location
* Bureau (European Parliament), the administra ...
(BRGM) (1980 to 1985) and GEMSA, a consortium between the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and the Spanish Empresa Nacional Adaro de Investigaciones Mineras (ENAIMSA).
These studies resulted in the discovery of important deposits of uranium, gold and other minerals.
Likewise, although the oil boom and the first exploitation waited until the 1990s, the first oil exploration licenses began in 1965.
The Ministry of Mines was established during the first government of
Macias Nguema, who appointed Ricardo Erimola Chema Minister of Industry and Mines. After the overthrow of the Macías regime and during the
Supreme Military Council, the powers of the ministry passed to the "Military Commissioner" (title given to ministers during the period of the Supreme Military Council) Pedro Nsué Obama.
In this period, the Mines portfolio lost the rank of ministry and became a General Directorate that depended directly on the presidency until 1985, when through a decree, the portfolio returned to Ministry status.
References
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Government of Equatorial Guinea