MINING

MTA has a strong mining practice having assisted a number of companies in the following areas: 

• Advise on acquisition of reconnaissance, exploration and mining licenses and financing of exploration and mining business.
• Reviewing draft mining development agreements.
• Prepare legal survey of the mining sector and preparing a high level legal summaries and responses to jurisdictional questionnaires in relation to the mining sector.
• Interfacing with the Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Natural Gas and facilitation of reconnaissance, exploration and mining licenses.
• Representing clients in negotiations relating to disputes in connection with exploration and mining rights.

MTA’s representative matters the mining sector includes acting for:

• Newmont Mining Corporation, in connection with its joint venture partnership with an Ethiopian mining company and issues arising therein.
• Schlumberger, in connection with its drilling operations in Ethiopia.
• Gemfields, in connection with its Ethiopian acquisition of shares in a local mining company and structuring its investments in the company.
• Fura Gems, a publicly listed Canadian gemstone mining and marketing company, on investing in gemstone, emerald exploration in Ethiopia and conducting due diligence on local mining companies.
• Hilong Oil Services, in connection with setting up a project office in Ethiopia.
• China-Africa Fund for Industrial Cooperation, in connection with carrying out a legal due diligence on POLY-GCL, a Chinese petroleum exploration company with assets in Ethiopia.
• Allana Potash Corporation, a Canadian potash mining and development company, on its investment in the potash mining business in Ethiopia.
• Israel Chemicals Limited, in connection with its investment in Allana Potash Corporation assets in Ethiopia.
• Circum Minerals, a company engaged in the development of potash, in connection with its potash investments in Ethiopia.
• Sheba Exploration Limited (Centamin), in connection with its mining operations in Ethiopia and its exit.
• Stratex East Africa Ltd, a company engaged in the exploration and development of gold and metal deposits, in relation to its Ethiopian investments and exit.
• Kefi Minerals, a company engaged in the exploration and development of gold and ore deposits, in connection with the acquisition of exploration licenses of Nyota Minerals.
• Marathon Oil Corporation, in connection with its transfer of shares over assets in Ethiopia.
• Birla Corporation Limited, an Indian cement manufacturing company, in connection with incorporation of a local subsidiary and advising on investment, labour and tax issues.