Eighty trillion cubic feet of natural gas have been discovered in two areas of the districts of Palma and Mocímboa da Praia, n Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province, said the province’s governor Eliseu Machava cited by Mozambican newspaper Notícias.

Summarising the execution of the Economic and Social Plan for 2012 in the province, the governor also said that in total there were seven areas where hydrocarbons occurred, located in the districts of Palma, Mocímboa da Praia, Macomia, Ibo, Quissanga, Metuge and Mecúfi.

Machava said that as a result of prospecting reserves of nickel and other associated metals, graphite, marble, and rubies had been found in the districts of Montepuez, Ancuabe, Chiúre, and Balama.

In terms of illegal mining, the governor of Cabo Delgado said that it occurred all over the province but most notably in the districts of Montepuez, Namuno, Meluco, Ancuabe and Mueda, where rubies, gold, blue topaz, garnets and green tourmalines are mined.

To discourage illegal mining a number of activities have been launched including setting up artisanal mining associations that now have 720 members, as well as outlining the areas in which the local population can mine in Montepuez, Mocímboa de Praia, and Namuno. (macauhub)