After almost a decade since the last Quarry License (QL) was issued, Black Jaguar Investment Group, owned by Essequibo businessman Tamesh Jagmohan, has been granted a license to operate a block in the Mazaruni River that will effectively become the largest quarry operation in Guyana and the Caribbean; the company plans to produce around 20,000 tonnes each week in its effort to lower the cost of stone and boost the construction industry and ensure timely supplies to complete government projects.
According to the company, it is an efficient, new large-scale operation allowing the company to supply products to the local market in a timely manner and at very competitive prices to support the rapidly expanding development in Guyana .
Unlike the other quarries in operation, the company says it will engage with international quarry operators to establish several extraction and production sites to maximize quarry output to meet current and expected demand in the local and regional economy.
“Other quarries in Guyana have a very limited approach to extraction and production, they only operate one extraction and processing system regardless of QL size and resource availability.
“The company intends to revolutionize the operation of the quarry industry in Guyana and to address the chronic supply shortage that has resulted in a resource-rich country having to import aggregates to meet demand, ‘ ‘the company said in a statement.
Black Jaguar Investment Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of the El Dorado Trading group of companies, was granted on December 1, 2020 the Quarry License by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). It is for rock extraction and processing to produce different sized boulders and aggregates.
The last QL to be issued was to Durban Quarries Inc. in 2010.
Black Jaguar Investment Group License is located in the vicinity of Marshall Falls. The area allowed to operate includes 7,086 acres. According to the company, the combined acreage of the other existing quarries in Guyana is not equal in size to this newly announced QL.
The area covered by this QL is home to deposits of Granite and Gabbro rocks. These rocks are excellent for use as a world-class aggregate in the construction industry. The elevations within 75% of the area enclosed by the QL are more than 200 feet, the highest elevations exceed 300 feet. The 300-foot contour covers about 40% of the aerial size of the QL. The elevation on the banks of the Mazaruni river is less than 50 feet. The overload in this area is usually less than 40 feet.
This leaves about 200 feet of rock standing above the easily removed river bank level.
The air size of the 200-foot contour line with the adjustments for the riverside overload indicates that approximately 300 million tons of rock will be available for extraction above the riverbank level.
The proposed facility will be developed using state-of-the-art technology to maximize operational capacity and efficiency.
The company said the chronic shortage of aggregates has been causing government infrastructure projects to run years beyond the anticipated deadline for completion.
“The government and private construction will no longer be delayed due to a shortage of aggregate supply,” said the company.