Section 70, The Mines and Minerals Act, 2009

An application for the grant of an exploration licenceshall be submitted to the Mining Cadastre Office in the prescribed form and- (a) shall contain the registered name and place of incorporation of the company, its certificate of incorporation and certified copy of its memorandum and articles of association, the names and nationalities of its directors and the name of every shareholder who is the beneficial owner of five percent or more of the issued share capital; (b) shall contain the company profile and history of exploration operations in Sierra Leone and elsewhere; (c) shall identify the name and qualifications of the person responsible for supervising the proposed programme of exploration (d) shall be accompanied by a plan of the proposed exploration licence area over which the licence is sought, drawn in such a manner and showing such particulars as prescribed; 48 49 Status of licence areas. Amendment of programme of reconnaissance Transfer of for exploration licence. (e) shall be accompanied by a description of the contiguous blocks comprising the proposed exploration licence area, identified in the prescribed manner, which shall be considered definitive should there be any discrepancy with the plan submitted under paragraph (d); (f) shall be accompanied by a statement giving particulars of the technical and financial resources available to the applicant, and a certified copy of its audited accounts for the year immediately preceding the application; (g) shall be accompanied by a proposed programme of exploration operations as prescribed setting out in detail the work intended over the next twelve month period together with the estimated cost, plus an indicative programme for the remainder of the period applied for, together with details of the equipment expected to be used in connection with it and the names and particulars of the persons to be responsible for the conduct thereof (such programme should be adequate and appropriate in relation to existing knowledge, describe the known geology and mineral prospectivity, and set out a plan that is likely to significantly build on the existing knowledge or the further definition of a known mineral deposit); (h) shall state the period applied for; (i) shall give details of any mineral right held within Sierra Leone by the applicant or by any person controlling, controlled by or under joint or common control with the applicant; (j) shall provide details of any significant adverse effects which the carrying out of the programme of exploration operations would be likely to have on the environment and on any monument or relic in the proposed exploration licence area and an estimate of the cost of combating such adverse effects; (k) shall give or be accompanied by a statement giving particulars of the applicant’s proposals with regard to the employment and training of Sierra Leone citizens; and (l) may set out any other matter which the applicant wishes the Minister to consider.