SYLLA & PARTNERS advised the Sino-Guinean Consortium China Shandong International Economic & Technical Cooperation Group Ltd/XINFA Group Co.Ltd/Maison KEBO in acquiring three bauxite blocks in Guinea and negotiating a mining convention for investments of approximately 16 billion US dollars.
Following the tender launched by the Republic of Guinea in February 2014 for the award of three strategic bauxite blocks – Boffa Nord, Santou Houda and Boffa Sud – which together contain one of the world’s largest bauxite reserves (6 to 9 billion tonnes), the Consortium was declared provisional successful bidder and invited to begin negotiations for the award of mining title and signing of the mining convention.
These three bauxite blocks represent exceptional potential for the development of the Guinean mining industry. The estimated reserves of between 6 and 9 billion tonnes of bauxite place this project among the world’s most important deposits, offering very long-term development prospects.
The Sino-Guinean Consortium brought together leading Chinese partners – China Shandong International Economic & Technical Cooperation Group Ltd and XINFA Group Co.Ltd – with a Guinean partner, Maison KEBO, thus creating a model of Sino-Guinean partnership in the mining sector.
The project envisioned by the Consortium was of exceptional scale, comprising operation of several bauxite mines, implementation of varied infrastructure including alumina refineries enabling local bauxite processing, railway lines for production transport, as well as deep-water ports for export to international markets. The total investment amount evaluated at 16 billion US dollars reflected the magnitude and complexity of this integrated project.
Our firm provided comprehensive legal assistance to the Consortium throughout the tender and negotiation process, mobilizing our expertise in mining law, infrastructure and tax law.
The services performed by SYLLA & PARTNERS included legal advisory during the tender phase, ensuring compliance of the Consortium’s submissions with tender specifications requirements, negotiation of the mining convention with the Government of Guinea covering all project components (mining operations, industrial processing, infrastructure), advice on legal and tax structuring of this multidimensional project, as well as active participation in negotiation sessions with Government of Guinea representatives.
This type of assignment illustrates our ability to support international consortia in acquiring and developing very large-scale mining projects in Guinea, effectively defending our clients’ interests while ensuring regulatory compliance of operations.
The SYLLA & PARTNERS team was led by Mohamed Sidiki SYLLA, partner, assisted by Pierre Kodjo AVODE and Madigbè KABA.
To discover other major mining projects that our firm has completed in Guinea, visit our references page. For any questions regarding our services in negotiating mining conventions for integrated projects, please do not hesitate to contact us.