About Us

Company Overview

The Port Loko Bauxite Project has been in existence since the early part of the 2000s when Sierra Leone Exploration and Mining Company (SLEMCO) carried out verification work and exploration of Bauxite resources.

Sierramin Bauxite finally acquired the licenses to mine at Port Loko in 2016 and with growing technology from the highly skilled engineering team, has identified the potential to produce bauxite which requires no washing initially, referred to as direct shipping ore (“DSO”) and then washed bauxite as well.

17-year initial mine life with production to commence in 2022 at an initial rate of up to 5 MTPA ramping up to a steady state of over 10MTPA after the first one year of production.

Sierramin Bauxite Technical and Economical Feasibility and JORC compliant report by SRK for the Port Loko mine, confirms strong financial returns, excellent environmental and social benefits from the project. The report was completed by SRK Consulting (UK) Limited – an independent and globally reputable Mining and Exploration Consultancy, supported by a number of specialist consulting firms.

It is a significant milestone in Sierramin’s strategy to become a leading independent bauxite producer and to build a world class mine. The report confirms the ability to complete initial construction during Q3 2022 and commence bauxite production and sales exports thereafter.

Introduction

sierramin bauxite limited is currently developing a bauxite mine and associated export facilities in the port loko license

The bauxite bearing belt covers an area of 375km2 in the Port Loko District, which is located in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. There is a potential of more than 600 million tons of bauxite in the belt, based on exploration work carried out by Sierramin till date.

SRK UK Ltd. confirmed 103 million tons of JORC compliant resources in limited areas of this bauxite deposit. Project enjoys an excellent infrastructure facility and a developed iron ore jetty is located just 20km from the bauxite deposits

Bauxite with average thickness of 5m occurs in low lying plateaus and hillocks with low over burden (<2m), which can be easily mined by simple excavators without any drilling-blasting. ROM requires dry or wet beneficiation to eliminate a part of silica (kaolinite) rich fines to produce quality ores for export. These are gibbsitic bauxite with high alumina (above 45%) and medium silica (below 4%) contents after beneficiation.

Our Vision

To be the best providers of impecable quality services above expectations; and create enormously guaguantian value beyond comprehension.

Our Mission

To provide top notch services to exceed the expectations of our Clients by applying innovation, recruiting and retaining highly skilled and committed employees and taking advantage of emerging technologies.

Our Values

We are proud of our brand, our projects and people. Our pride in all these is a direct product of our passion for the work we do. We love what we do and fully committed to the tasks for every project we execute.

Brand Promise

Our dedicated team draws on a strong and supportive network of partners to ensure that every project is delivered to required quality parameters, cost and schedule requirements.

Our Objectives

Bauxite Mining and Processing

To develop world class mines and processing facilities.

Export Quality

Export quality bauxite to low temperature alumina refineries all over the world

Infrastructure Development

Develop local infrastructure and exclusive jetty for bauxite export.

Economic Development

Create local employment and country development

Environmental, Social & Governance

Develop globally accredited ESG Portfolio

Corporate Social Responsibility

Adopt industry leading CSR programs

Our key success factors

Executive Management Team

Michael Oke P. Eng., MBA, PMP

Chairman, Board of Directors

Umar Bah

Chief Executive Officer

Steve Lloyd

Co-Country Managing Director

Steven Lloyd has worked in leadership roles in multiple locations in several countries all over North America, Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa and prior to Sierramin Bauxite, he was in a key operations leadership role working on a $64 billion dollar project to produce 1 million barrels per day crude oil production. With over 34 years in the Mining, Oil and Gas, Engineering and Construction sectors, Steven brings significant experience in the operations field from project conception through execution to completion. Managing operations deliverables, mapping out plans for the safe and seamless start-up of projects he is responsible for, he ensures that Conduct of Operations is clearly defined and always followed through to implement safe and cost-effective start-ups and operations.
Steven has managed multiple capital projects and has been instrumental identifying areas of OPEX reduction, eliminating low value projects works, implementing spare parts pro gram and increasing reliability, resulting in significant production increase. Proven leader developing Operations expenditure and framing future works by planning ahead for 1,3 & 5 years for better efficiency.
Steven’s Project and Operations experience has included assessments of pre-design work, review/consulting on procurement contract forms, and advising/analysis on project delivery methods, constructability reviews, estimation of project-capital cost submittals, catalogue cuts and means, bidding activities, project start-up and operations, project management, construction management, scheduling, value engineering, contract administration, procurement, quality assurance and errors and omissions, daily contractor project execution management, strategic planning, technical issue evaluations, OPEX development and planning as well as Agile project development process.
He also has vast experience in management of HAZOP, PHA, Reliability bad actor investigations, incident investigation and lessons learned implementation to reduce and eliminate project and operational risks. Steven has been involved in multiple environmental remediation projects and takes health, safety and environmental sustainability seriously.

Andrew Rapai

Co-Country Managing Director

With 37 years of Design and Engineering, Project Execution and Management, Plant Operational and Maintenance experience across Petrochemical, Energy, Mining, Construction and Sulphur Forming and Handling sectors and for the last 4 years prior to joining the Sierramin Bauxite team, he involved in roles covering Commercial, Corporate and Business Development, Strategy and Planning, Finance and Program execution management. Led the design, engineering, procurement and construction of several revolutionary initiatives in the Petrochemical industry & business development function of a leading Gas & Power company. Led the Integration of a major E & P business acquisition, was Commercial Executive for Asset Management of E&P fields, and Business development initiatives.
He initiated revolutionary design initiatives, provided economics support for capital investment decision analyses, carried out project management of core energy and support infrastructure (upstream, midstream and downstream) and managed diverse & high per forming teams of professionals as well as outsourcing service providers.
With a career across multiple countries across five continents, Andy has developed a number of core skills that include but are not limited to the following: Business Development, Negotiation, M & A, Asset Management, Commercial Strategy Development and Execution, Project Management, Business Planning. Investment Appraisals and Resource Allocation, Leadership/communication. He has been involved with defining strategy and business plans for (processing + transport + distribution, and Power) play and been Commercial Champion for designing and engineering systems for the optimization of plant operating assets to increase through-put as well as developing self-sustaining and scalable central processing facilities to maximize efficiency.
Vast with investment opportunity realization processes and up till Decision Gate 2 level as well as in- depth experience with the development of green field plant sites from the ground up and management of diverse teams of professionals across multiple disciplines for mega plant operations and maintenance functions to meet production targets whilst still mitigating risks, meeting compliance requirements, identifying and providing solutions, measuring performance and focusing on quality management, employee health, sustainability, safety and social responsibility.

Pavel Gonchar

Construction Director

Pavel Gonchar has been involved with Construction projects as an advisory leader and with several senior management Construction Project roles under his belt. His responsibilities have included leading complex Construction and Infrastructure projects from initiation all through to execution, monitoring and controlling stages, all the way to project completion; always under budget, on time and without compromising quality, meeting Customer expectations. He has extensive experience in Project innovative risk management systems on Projects across several countries and he has been able to efficiently and effectively identify and relate relevant technical issues to complete solutions using engineering principles selected by counsel, thus avoiding scope creep which then facilitates project development using appropriate courses of action.
Pavel has led numerous international projects to success over the last 20 years working with Project owners and contractors and providing services such as plant operations, project management, construction management, process design, environmental and safety engineering, regulatory compliance administration, rule negotiation and testimony as well as consulting and HAZOP chairmanship.
He has extensive experience throughout all phases of Mine Construction development, Project Commerce with extensive experience drafting and negotiating numerous types of contracts and financial instruments. Pavel's engagement experience has included assessments of pre-design work, review/consulting on procurement contract forms, and advising/analysis on project delivery methods, constructability reviews, estimation of project-capital cost submittals, catalog cuts and means, bidding activities, project start-up and operations, project management, construction management, scheduling, value engineering, contract administration, procurement, quality assurance and errors and omissions.
He has also performed ISO 9000 and other audits, strategic planning, technical issue evaluations and forensic engineering. In the risk management area, his experience includes project governance reviews, claims prevention, project risk assessment, project risk management training/audits and the development of corporation-wide risk management programs for multi-national corporations and public and private entities. His experience in project analysis and audits spans many countries, several industries and total installed cost values, with overall project values exceeding $500 million USD.

Stewart Douglas

Finance & Strategic Planning Director

Stewart has always had a passion for Finance, Economics, received a Canadian Securities Course and occupied various senior management positions across Western Canada, the last being with one of the top retailers in the world and was utilized as a leader in guiding teams to reach new levels of success and being noted for consistently building teams that exceeded set targets and objectives, increasing Clients base and reducing shrink and expenditure. Throughout his career, he has been involved in ensuring optimum performance at the highest levels, developing a number of core skills that include but not limited to the following: Business Development, Negotiation, Mergers and Acquisition, Asset Management, Commercial Strategy Development and Execution, Project Economics, Project Management, Business Planning, Profit & Loss Responsibility, Investment Appraisals and Re source Allocation, as well as Leadership/Communication, Capital Raising and Project Finance, Joint Ventures and Strategic Alliances Formation, Supply Chain Management, Business Planning, Corporate Governance and Organizational Behaviour.
Stewart has also been involved with Divestitures, Portfolio rationalization of company assets, Negotiating divestments and acquisitions of assets that provide complementary fit to existing portfolio, Negotiation of Alternative Funding for Asset Development and has maintained a live outlook of the Intrinsic Business Value of various portfolio groupings. Worked directly with other Senior Management team members and relevant staff on Project planning, Execution, Monitoring and Control, Studies teams, Operations, Tax Advisory, Legal and Finance advisor to appropriately frame opportunities and assure value creation throughout development cycle.
Coordinated several teams that provided on dedicated basis, frontline economic analyses to portfolio of development opportunities/projects through various decision gates/reviews, through to final Investment Decision.
He has vast knowledge, experience and expertise in Investment Proposals, divestment economics to support/facilitate deals' decision-making, carried out periodic economics evaluation and consolidation of all business plan submissions in respect of development studies, delivered staff competency development, coaching of regional economics skill pool and coordinated the Economics IT systems and Tool sets ensuring projects met scheduled timelines, were under budget without compromising HSE requirements or compromising quality standards by any means.

Brimah A. Conteh

General Manager

Pavel Gonchar

Construction Director

Stewart Douglas

Finance & Strategic Planning Director

Brimah A. Conteh

General Manager

Sheku Kallon

Geology Manager

A commercially driven geologist and sample processing analyst with a solid management background, and connections, within the minerals and mining sector across the mano River union. Sheku has got over 10 years of experience working in post-conflict Sierra Leone and Liberia planning geology projects, gathering and analyzing geological data, and studying the earth's crust and various materials. Sheku has extensive knowledge of bauxite geology and mineralogy along with the Kasila belts in Sierra Leone, he also understands how the high silica bauxite in Port Loko can be upgraded through beneficiation to meet off-takers and low-temperature refineries specifications.
Proven ability to screen, rank, and prioritize exploration targets for investment. Experience in dealing with government systems and officials to achieve desired commercial out comes. Sheku is amongst several other Sierra Leonean professionals identified by Sierramin Bauxite for further career development to enhance him for his future leading role. Sheku has vast experience of the heterogeneity, density, and nature of the Port Loko bauxite; an experience that places him in the position to meet operational demand and over come associated exploration, mining, and metallurgical challenges.
Plan exploration and development drilling, conduct metallurgical test work, ensure Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QAQC) measures are always adhered to. Supported SRK and other external consultancies to prepare mineral resource estimates as well as other technical reports. Undertaken a training program on mineral resources management, mineral rights management, economic geology conducted at Jiangxi College of Foreign Studies, Nanchang-China. A Strategic thinker with a pragmatic way of translating plans into effective action, Experience with various geological techniques like mining, exploration, sample preparation and analysis, boring and numerical modeling, metallurgical test work, Program design, management, monitoring and evaluation, Risk assessments, financing and budgeting, Familiar with environmental regulations, Experienced Trainer and Facilitator.
Sheku enjoys a cordial relationship with the project community and has been a volunteer teacher helping school children and pupils to understand mathematics and other science subjects. In addition to this, he has mentored over 30 Lab-technicians and attendants on sampling and processing techniques.

About Us

Company Overview