Subject: Central Part of the Bakhuis Mountains (W Suriname)
Article:

The central part of the Bakhuis Mountains is about 275 KM from Paramaribo using the Coppename-Avanavero jungle road up to the Mozes creek towards Camp 52. Part of the road was constructed by Reynolds Suriname Mines. The SE part of the Bakhuis mountains is difficult to access because of the many rapids along the Coppename and Adampada rivers. The area has hills and mountains in altitude up to 480m. There are also some higher mountains up to 670m and a granite hill 'Little Volzberg'. There is dense tropical rain forest or dense Savannah type forest. It is uninhabited but past settlements of Amerindians can be found judging on the polishing grooves in the upper left Adampada river. Several geological expeditions have studied the Bakhuis mountains from 1900 to present. In 1960 a good quality of bauxite was discovered and an extensive prospecting program began by the Geological Mining Service. Estimated reserves of bauxite were thought to be 200 million metric tons with 45% alumina, 3% silica, 15-20% iron oxide. Since 1971 Reynolds Suriname Mines LTD, in joint venture with state owned Grassalco had concession rights for the Adampada-Kabalebo area. Reynolds would only continue bauxite exploitation if it could be sure of a 50 million metric tons bauxite exploitable reserve. The Suriname government would built a railroad from the Bakhuis mountains to Apoera where Reynolds would build an alumina plant and a reduction plant using electricity from a hydro-electric power plant built by the government in the Kabalebo river. After extensive drilling the 50 million metric tons reserve as required by Reynolds could not be achieved. In October 1974, the government of Suriname and Reynolds reached an agreemnet to discontinue the bauxite activities in the Bakhuis mountains. -----




Met dank aan Albert Buys