Summary:

In early April 2024, Australia mining firm PhosCo reported securing a research permit for the Ras Ghzir lead and zinc deposit situated near the border of the governates of Kef and Kasserine.  

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A mining research permit typically grants the holder rights to study the commercial viability of a mining operation in advance of receiving an exploitation permit. 

PhosCo has a 100% stake in the research permit which the firm applied for in 2022. The research permit covers specific base metal research despite falling geographically within the larger Sekerna Phosphate research, for which PhosCo has also submitted an application for a research permit. 

PhosCo’s securing of the Ras Ghzir research permit comes after a lengthy legal and arbitration battle over shares of a joint venture with a local Tunisian firm that had sought exploration rights for the Chaketma Phosphate site. PhosCo had sought the seizure of shares from the Tunisian firm as compensation for damages. 

Outlook: 

The research permit is a positive sign of progress toward potential commercial viability in an area of Tunisia that is economically depressed and would benefit from job creation. 

However, the process also points to the bureaucratic and legal challenges that firms must navigate in order to undertake a significant projects in Tunisia, particularly in the extractives industry which has long suffered from legal challenges, localized corruption, and labor disputes. 

Additional challenges could lie ahead as sustaining the manpower and logistics necessary to export mined materials continues to challenge firms operating in Tunisia. 

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