The government signs a second executive agreement for copper mining in the south of the Kingdom, following an approach that balances environmental protection with the investment of national wealth.

Al-Manaseer: Investing in Jordan's wealth is a national responsibility before it is an economic opportunity.

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Dr. Saleh Al-Kharabsheh, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Manaseer Energy Group, Engineer Ziad Al-Manaseer, signed the executive agreement for copper mining in the (Wadi Khalid, Wadi Al-Nahas, Wadi Al-Jariya, and Wadi Al-Mahash) area in the south of the Kingdom, covering an area of about (78) square kilometers. This step paves the way for moving to the project development stages in accordance with technical, economic, and environmental requirements and applicable legislation, ensuring a balance between investing in national mineral wealth and preserving environmental and natural value and the biosphere.

Initial technical indicators from the results of some samples showed that copper concentrations reached about (1.36%) in the southern geological formation, while concentrations exceeded (3.5%) in specific samples. The copper ore reserve is estimated at about (45) million tons, which constitutes about (500,000-600,000) tons of pure copper.

Under the agreement, the company will work to complete the necessary technical, economic, and environmental studies for the project's development, including verifying mineral resource and reserve estimates, determining copper concentration ratios and economically extractable quantities, and estimating the required capital investments, in accordance with the adopted subsurface mining method.

Al-Kharabsheh emphasized that this agreement is the second of its kind and comes within a balanced approach aimed at achieving optimal utilization of national mineral wealth, in parallel with protecting the environment, biodiversity, and natural value, contributing to supporting the national economy and achieving sustainable development.

He pointed out that the adopted approach for the project is based on subsurface mining rather than open-pit surface mining, so that all mining facilities, ore processing facilities, and infrastructure are established outside the area's boundaries, while access to the mineralization located beneath the surface is limited to restricted and studied entrances and tunnels, the locations of which are determined according to technical and environmental studies and necessary approvals. This is aimed at allowing the exploitation of copper ores underground while limiting potential impacts on natural landmarks and surface environmental elements, and preserving ecosystems and biodiversity.

Al-Kharabsheh said that the implementation of requirements related to environmental aspects will be in coordination between the Ministries of Energy and Mineral Resources and Environment, the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, and the concerned government agencies, ensuring compliance with environmental legislation, regulations, and instructions, and completing environmental impact assessment studies and obtaining the necessary licenses and approvals before starting exploitation works.

For his part, the Minister of Environment, Dr. Muawieh Radaideh, emphasized the importance of the participatory efforts made by the government, represented by the Ministries of Environment and Energy and Mineral Resources, in cooperation with the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, to reach understandings that achieve a balance between protecting the environment and preserving biodiversity and natural habitats, and utilizing copper ores and mineral resources according to a sustainable approach that takes into account environmental requirements.

Radaideh added that these understandings form a framework for completing the procedures related to the project, in accordance with applicable environmental legislation, ensuring the preservation of natural components and biodiversity, and allowing the exploitation of mineral resources in a responsible and sustainable manner.

For his part, Engineer Ziad Al-Manaseer, founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Manaseer Group, emphasized that investing in Jordan's wealth is a national responsibility before it is an economic opportunity, stressing that protecting the environment and preserving natural resources constitute a fundamental pillar in all of the group's projects.

Al-Manaseer added, "At Manaseer Group, as you have always known us, we are committed to applying the highest environmental standards and practices in the various stages of our work, and we take all necessary measures to protect the environment and limit the environmental impacts of our operations."

He explained that we pay great attention to the local communities surrounding our work sites by considering their needs and enhancing the positive impact of our activities, which contributes to supporting local development and achieving sustainable value for its people.

Al-Manaseer affirmed his keenness to carry out mining, exploration, and logistical work according to a responsible and sustainable approach that balances work requirements with environmental protection and achieves real added value for Jordan and its people.

This agreement comes within the framework of the government's direction to benefit from the promising indicators of copper ores in the region, which were shown by the results of exploration work and initial geological studies during the memorandum of understanding phase, which enhances the opportunities for developing an economically viable mining project.

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources had signed a memorandum of understanding in June 2022 with the Jordan Integrated Mining and Exploration Company, a subsidiary of Manaseer Group, to explore copper ores. The company implemented an exploration program that included detailed geological studies, drilling of exploration wells and trenches, and collecting and analyzing samples in specialized laboratories, and the results showed encouraging indicators of the presence of copper deposits and concentrations in the region.

Previous geological studies indicate the presence of promising quantities of copper ores in the Finan and Khirbet Al-Nahas areas, which enhances the importance of developing the project according to sustainable technical, economic, and environmental foundations, and completing the necessary studies to determine the volume of extractable resources and the feasibility of exploiting them.

The agreement signed today represents the regulatory framework for the project, including development requirements, completing technical, economic, and environmental studies, determining appropriate mining methods, and fulfilling the necessary regulatory conditions and approvals, in addition to exploring opportunities for developing downstream manufacturing industries for mining, which enhances the added value of national mineral wealth.

The agreement comes within the framework of the government's direction to benefit from the promising indicators of copper ores in the region, which were shown by the results of exploration work and initial geological studies carried out by the company during the memorandum of understanding phase, which enhances the opportunities for developing an economically viable mining project.

The project is expected to contribute to supporting the surrounding local communities by providing job opportunities, training, and vocational rehabilitation, and giving priority to employing Jordanian competencies and labor, with a target of approximately 90% of the total workforce, in addition to implementing social responsibility programs and supporting development initiatives that contribute to improving services and enhancing economic opportunities for the people of the region.

The project reflects the government's direction towards developing the mining sector according to a responsible and sustainable national model that balances the investment of natural resources and maximizing their economic returns with preserving the Kingdom's environmental and natural heritage, in a way that serves the national interest and the rights of current and future generations.