Tantalus-Project

History & Project Development

late 19th century
first mentioning of “peculiar” granitic dikes near Ampasibitika village by French geologists
1922
first description of niobium-tantalum-zirconium mineralization by French mineralogist Lacroix
1920s to 1970s
mainly scientific work on mineralization and granitic dikes
1950s
exploration for alluvial tin and niobium by French colonial geologists
1988 to 1991
systematic sampling (stream sediments, outcrops), pitting and ground radiometric surveys by Soviet Geological Mission
1990s to early 2000s
political instability in Madagascar, no work done
2003
Gondwana Resources, Australia acquires rights, no field work
2004 to 2007
World Bank funded project: wide spaced airborne magnetic survey, reconnaissance stream sediment survey (53 elements), reconnaissance mapping 1:100,000; scientific thesis on the mineralization by Malagasy student
2008
acquisition of project through Tantalus Rare Earths AG