Gold - Silver Mineralization    

The regional geological setting of the Arabian–Nubian Shield provides excellent opportunities for gold in Yemen. Exploration coverage in the form of reconnaissance geochemical and geological surveys have located over 40 known gold or silver occurrences  in Yemen occurring as four types of gold mineralization: volcanic - hosted gold mineralization, gold in Precambrian rocks, sediment - hosted disseminated gold mineralization and supergene gold. The Sabaeans were famous for mining gold, to the extent that it was said the Sabaeans were one of the richest nations in the region because of the large number of gold mines in their land. The doors, ceilings and walls of their palaces and temples were all decorated with gold, silver and gem stones. The major known gold occurrences in Yemen are:  

1. Medden Area: 678,000 tons, 15g Au/t, 11g Ag/t. (Thani Dubai Mining Co.). 

2. Wadi Sharis Area: 7g Au/t. (Thani Dubai Mining Co).

3. Al–Hariqah Area: 16 million tons, 1.65 g Au/t(Cantex Mine Development Corp.).

4. Al-Faydh Area: 11g Au/t. (Cantex Mine Development Corp.). 

5. The Northeastren Area: 73 g Au/t. (Volrock Mining). 

6. Waragah-Utmah Area: 2931 pbb Au. (CC Mining).

7. Asbah Area: 1.3 g Au/t. (CC Mining).

8. Al-Jawf Area: 5320 ppb Au (Open Area).

9. Al Hutayb Area: 3 g Au/t. (Open Area)

10. Am Surah Area: 0.7 g Au/t. (Budi Haruman)

11. Al-Awarid Area: 17 g Au/t. (Open Area)

12. Shutbah Area: 5.4 g Au/t. (Open Area) 

Lead - Zinc Mineralization 

Lead - zinc occurrences are widespread in Yemen.  Most of these are spatially and genetically related to a major Jurassic to Paleocene graben known as the Ramlat Sabatayn structure. Lead – zinc mineralization in Yemen is hosted in carbonates and volcanogenic massive sulphides. The most important zinc lead occurrences are:  

1. Jabali Area: 12,600,000 tonne, 9% Zn, 1.2% Pb, 68 g Ag/t. (ZincOx Resources plc). 

2. Tabaq and Jibal Al-Jubal Area: 12% Zn, 3.8% Pb. (Markmore SDN).

3. Dhi Bin: 16% Zn. (Open Area)

4. Ramah Area: up to 7% Zn (Open Area)

5. Wadi Aqiq Area: 1.4% Zn. (Open Area) 

6 Wadi Sufian Area: 351 ppm Zn. (Open Area) 

Copper – Nickel -Cobalt Mineralization   

Copper and associated metals are widespread in the Precambrian rocks of Yemen.

Limited exploration has taken place in Yemen thus far.  This has been largely reconnaissance in nature, restricted to Precambrian metamorphic and intrusive basement rocks, but has already identified several island arc volcano-sedimentary belts containing copper, nickel and cobalt. The most important localities are:  

1. Suwar -Qutabah Area: 0.9% Cu, 0.4% Ni (Cantex Mine Development Corp.) 

2. Sadah Area: 7.65% Ni and 1.21% Cu (Cantex Mine Development Corp.) 

3. Al-Hamurah Area: 4 million tonne, 0.6% Cu, 0.4% Ni (Open Area).

4. Wadi Bayhan Area: 2% Cu (CVMR Company)

5. Al Maaden Area: 3.9% Cu, 10.5% Ni. (Open Area)

6. Wadi Siryan Area: 3.4% Cu (Open Area)

7. Wadi Silbah Area: 4.7% Cr and 1.7% Ni (Open Area) 

 Iron, Titanium and Vanadium Mineralization 

Iron was mined at Sadah in ancient times and was also the focus of number of  exploration programs in the form of reconnaissance geochemical and geological surveys, which identified several iron - titanium occurrences.  The most important localities are:

1. Al-Thanyyah Area: 98% Fe2O3 (Yemen Iron Steel). 

2. Mukayras Area: 130,000,000 tons of 15.5% Fe, 46,000,000 tons of 5.3% TiO2     and  150,000 tons of 0.02% V2O5 (Open Area)

3. Sadah Area: 940,000 tonne with 34% Fe & 11% Mn. (Open Area).

4. Al–Bayda Area: 800,000 tonne with 74% Fe2O3 (Stone Resources).  

5. Murah Area: 53.8 million tonne with 12% Fe, 4.4 TiO2 (Open Area).  

6. Al–Farashah Area: 6.8 million tonne with 15 - 40% Fe (Open Area).