Licences and Permits

The Mining Act, 1989 allows for four scales of operation:

• A Small Scale Claim has dimensions of 1500 ft x 800 ft whilst a river claim consists of one mile of a navigable river.
• Medium Scale Prospecting and Mining Permits. These cover between 150 and 1200 acres each.
• Prospecting Licences for areas between 500 and 12,800 acres.
• Permission for Geological and Geophysical Surveys for reconnaissance surveys over large acreages with the objective of applying for Prospecting Licences over favorable ground selected on the basis of results obtained from the reconnaissance aerial and field surveys.

Small and medium scale property titles (items 1 and 2 above) are restricted to Guyanese, however, foreigners have been entering into joint-venture arrangements whereby the two parties jointly develop the property. This is strictly by private contract. In 2003 there were 2513 Medium Scale Prospecting Permits and 18 Prospecting Licences in existence.

Foreign companies may apply for Prospecting Licences and Permission for reconnaissance surveys.