SGS Wins New Geochemistry Laboratory Services in Oman

SGS has been awarded contracts to conduct tailings waste analysis, analysis of legacy ore stockpiles and environmental water monitoring for Green Tech Mining & Services (GTMS). The services will be provide as part of GTMS’s Bishara, Rakkah (formerly Mining Block 10) and Arjaa Tailings (formerly Mining Block 4) projects. These services will allow GTMS to recover any targeted remaining minerals and remediate the damaged environmental legacy.

This opportunity also strengthens our position as a leading provider of laboratory services to the natural resources industry in the Sultanate of Oman and the Middle East. We will also operate and provide access to the full-scale geochemistry laboratory operated for our strategic partner Strategic Precious Metal Processing (SPMP) in Oman.

Oman is rich in copper, zinc, chromite, silicon, gold, cobalt, iron, limestone, dolomite and gypsum. Mining is one of five industry sectors currently prioritized for development, which makes the outsourcing of the geochemical laboratory an important step for the country.

The laboratory will provide sample preparation and mineral analysis services for Oman’s most common minerals, including those mentioned above. These services include: 

• Crushing and pulverization of drill cores
• Whole-rock XRF analysis 
• Whole-rock and multi-element aqua regia tests using ICP-AES technology
• Multi-element four-acid digestion 
• Fire assay 
• Porosity and moisture tests, 
• Gravity and bulk density tests  

Ozgur Kocahan, General Manager at SGS Oman, said: “SGS is excited to support the developing mining sector in Oman. Having state-of-the-art analytical services in the country and being able to cover a wide range of commodities and techniques is essential to facilitate and accelerate the growth of the local mining industry. Providing services in Oman ensures faster turn-around times, reduced material handling costs, local skills development and employment opportunities. We look forward to contributing to the success of the local mining industry in Oman.”

The SGS Geochemistry business has a global network of commercial, mobile, and mine-site laboratories. We also provide field testing solutions which together provide unparalleled analytical support. Our network of highly skilled professionals and state-of-the-art equipment provide accurate and timely analysis for a wide range of geological materials, including previous, base, rare earth, and battery metals. 

About GTMS

Green Tech Mining & Services LLC (GTMS) was established by the government, the state-owned Oman Mining Company LLC (OMCO), as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). It aims to introduce innovative and green mining technologies and residuals remediation-inclusive surface mining technologies for making mining widely acceptable in the Sultanate of Oman. As a result, a transformation of the future of the mining industry has been triggered to tackle the solid resource development of the entire country. Both brownfield and greenfield projects are within GTMS's portfolio of projects.