Licences required to undertake prospecting and exploration activities:
- A prospecting authorisation
This license confers on the holder a non-exclusive right to prospect for the mineral substances covered by the authorisation throughout the authorised area. A prospecting authorisation can cover any type of mineral (with the exception of minerals found in quarries) and is not generally subject to location restrictions. However, the Ministry of Mines can prohibit, in the public interest, prospecting for one or several minerals in all or part of the territory of Senegal for a specified period.
- An exploration permit
This license confers on the holder the exclusive right to explore for the mineral substances for which it is issued. An exploration permit can cover any type of mineral, with the exception of minerals found in quarries, which are subject to separate authorisation, and is not subject to location restrictions, unless it is granted within a promotional zone following a tender launched by the state. A company cannot hold more than two exploration permits for the same mineral.
- A production sharing agreement (PSA)
- This license is entered into between the Ministry of Mines and a contractor grants the contractor an exclusive exploration authorisation to carry out its obligations thereunder. A PSA can be granted only for promotional zones, unless the holder of a permit for a mining area located outside a promotional zone opts to conduct the mining activities under a PSA. The PSA is approved by way of a decree and contains its validity period which is set by the parties.
- Exploration License
- Large Scale Mining License
- Small Scale Mining License
- A small-scale operating authorization, which is limited to a 500-hectare mining area
- A semi-mechanized operating authorization: It is issued to carry out mining operations on an area of less than 50 hectares; and
- An artisanal mining authorization: It is issued to individuals for an initial period of five years and can be renewed several times for further five-year periods.