In the world of minerals, gold and barite (barium sulfate) couldn’t be less alike. Gold, the flashy yellow metal so highly valued for its rarity, immutability, and inherent beauty, has at times been a basis, either formally or informally, for the world’s currencies. As such, it has held a unique position of respect, even reverence, matched by nothing else. Barite, on the other hand, is largely colorless, used primarily to give weight to mud, used by the oil industry to flush out debris from drill holes.
In spite of their pronounced physical differences, and dramatically contrasting roles in the world, gold and barite ultimately represent the same thing to Raptor Resource Holdings, a mineral exploration and development company. They both represent money, and lots of it.
Raptor has two subsidiaries, both with operations in Zimbabwe, Africa:
- TAG Minerals, Inc., a mineral and metal resource acquisition, exploration, and development company, currently focused on alluvial surface gold.
- Mabwe Minerals, Inc., a natural resource company currently focused on the development of a major barite project.
TAG Minerals, along with its affiliate, TAG Minerals Zimbabwe (Private) Limited, is responsible for alluvial gold production along with the development of greenfield assets targeting bedrock gold and other potential metals and minerals. The plan is to move into commercial production within the next 18 months. The company is in early stage exploration evaluating potential alluvial sites to ensure they meet the company’s criteria for commercial production. Coupled with MBMI’s acquisition of WGB Kinsey & Company, TAG Minerals is well positioned to fast track into commercial production once the company has successfully completed its exploratory testing.
Mabwe Minerals has been the focus of the parent company’s efforts the last two years to move into commercial barite production. With its affiliate, the company owns 100% of the mineral and metal rights to the Dodge Mine property in Zimbabwe. Hydrothermal barite deposits throughout Dodge Mine represent the highest grade of new barite sources to be brought into commercial production in years. A third party oil and gas drilling sector geologist recently confirmed that the multiple barite deposits are considered “World Class” in quality and highly efficient to mine. The company’s current customer uses barite as a weighting agent in oil and gas drilling applications in the Gulf of Mexico, home to the largest concentration of active rigs in the world. Coupled with the recent massive discovery of oil and gas off the coast of neighboring Mozambique, along with new drilling contracts expected in the region, MBMI is in an attractive geographical location to capture the expected demands of this emerging market.
For more information, visit www.RaptorResourcesHoldings.com
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