FAQ
The questions we are asked most.
If yours is not here, the desk will answer it directly.
01General
Working with us.
01Who do you buy from?
Licensed producers, registered cooperatives, licensed dealers and in-country refiners in the eight markets where we operate. Never from individuals and never from undocumented sources.
02How do you price gold?
Against the LBMA Gold Price, less a discount for assayed purity, refining and the route. The formula is written down before any metal is weighed so you can check it against the published benchmark.
03How fast do you pay?
On assay confirmation, usually within days of the metal reaching us. Established partners can be part-paid on delivery.
04Is there a minimum?
A few hundred grams. Terms improve with steady monthly volume, and producers who can commit to a schedule can sell forward.
05Which countries are you in?
The DRC, Uganda, Kenya, Gabon, South Africa, Guinea, Sudan and South Sudan, with the head office and market access in London.
06Do you buy from artisanal miners?
Through registered cooperatives and licensed dealers. That is what keeps the chain of custody lawful and lets the metal be sold into the international market.
07Do you finance producers?
Part-payment against delivery, forward offtake with an agreed formula, and plant facilities for mining partners. All tied to offtake rather than offered as loans.
08What paperwork do I need to sell to you?
A valid mining, dealer or export licence, identity and ownership documents for your company, and site information for the metal's origin. We handle assay, permits and certification from there.
09Do you sell to private investors?
No. We are a wholesale house selling to bullion banks, refineries and industrial users.
10How do I start?
Write to the desk with your licence type, location and typical output. Every serious enquiry gets a reply from a trader, and we visit where the fit is right.
02Services
Trading, mining and finance.
01What is the smallest lot you buy?
A few hundred grams. Terms get better with steady monthly volume. Sellers must be licensed dealers, registered cooperatives or permitted producers.
02How is the discount worked out?
Three parts. The assayed purity, the refinery's charge to bring it to good delivery, and the cost and risk of the route. All three are disclosed and agreed in advance.
03Do you trade PGMs outside South Africa?
Sourcing is centred there. We market PGMs to counterparties worldwide through London and Zürich.
04Do you buy mining licences outright?
We prefer partnership. The licence holder knows the ground and the community. We bring capital, management and the route to market.
05What size of deposit interests you?
Sites that can support a mechanised operation producing tens of kilograms a year and up. We would rather build a small mine well than a large one badly.
06I hold an exploration licence. How do I approach you?
Send a short summary of the licence, its location and any existing data through the contact page. A geologist reads every submission.
07Do you lend to miners?
We provide part-payment and working-capital facilities tied to offtake. Repayment comes out of the metal delivered to us rather than from a separate loan.
08Which refineries do you ship to?
LBMA-accredited refineries in Switzerland, the wider EU and the Gulf, chosen by origin, form and volume.
03Markets
Country by country.
01DR Congo. Do you buy from artisanal miners in the DRC?
Through registered cooperatives and licensed comptoirs, yes. That is what keeps the chain of custody lawful and lets the metal be sold into London. We do not buy from individuals.
02DR Congo. Which provinces are you in?
Ituri, Haut-Uélé, South Kivu and North Kivu for buying and field work. Kinshasa for export administration.
03Uganda. Do you buy gold that comes from outside Uganda?
Only when its origin is documented and lawful. Cross-border material gets enhanced due diligence and ICGLR certification where the source country requires it. Undocumented metal is never bought.
04Uganda. Can you pay in Uganda?
Yes. Shillings or dollars through Ugandan banks, or offshore if you hold a foreign-currency account.
05Kenya. Do you buy from individual miners in Kenya?
We buy through registered cooperatives and licensed dealers so that every lot is traceable and royalties are paid. That protects the seller as much as us.
06Kenya. Would you look at an exploration joint venture?
Yes. If you hold a prospecting licence on greenstone in the west or north-west, send the data and we will read it.
07Gabon. Do you run field operations in Gabon yourselves?
We work with licensed Gabonese operators who run the field logistics. We bring capital, technical support, assay and the route to market.
08South Africa. Do you trade PGMs outside South Africa?
Sourcing is centred on South Africa. We market PGMs to counterparties worldwide through London and Zürich.
09South Africa. Would you look at tailings or historic dumps?
Yes, where grade, tonnage and permitting add up. Send the data through the contact page.
10Guinea. Where do you consolidate in Guinea?
Doré is consolidated and assayed in Siguiri, then moved to Conakry for refining arrangements, export paperwork and shipment.
11Sudan. Are you active in Sudan right now?
It depends on conditions, which we review continuously. We transact only when it is lawful, safe and fully documented. Ask compliance for the current position.
12South Sudan. How do you assay in South Sudan?
Portable XRF in the field for screening and accredited fire assay at destination for settlement, with a split sample kept by the seller.
Get in touch
desk@miningaccord.com
08.30 to 18.00 GMT
Talk to the desk.
Tell us what you hold, where it is and how you sell it today. A trader replies, not a form.