A summary of the history of the regional exploration in the Mavuzi area is as follows
(from Ruzicka and Brigden, 2005):
· 1940-50s: prospecting for corundum in the Carvalho Corundum Lease area led
to the discovery of uranium mineralisation and a subsequent pegging rush in
1947-1950 at Mavuzi. Prospecting, limited mapping and prospect evaluation
reports were undertaken during this period.
· 1950-70s: district-scale prospecting, trenching, shaft sinking and drilling were
undertaken in the Mavuzi and Mont Muande areas.
· 1947-73: underground mining was undertaken at Mavuzi, Castro and Conti
mines. Mining records, plans and reports are limited. By 1950, 50t of davidite
had been mined at Mavuzi over a documented 500m-strike interval focused on
south adits and main and north shaft extraction points.
· 1950-73: undocumented production, no available reports. Davidite was
apparently flown out by Americans in a very secretive operation (cold war era).
The operation ceased in 1973 due to political unrest and the execution of the
Mavuzi Mine Manager. Empirical observations of underground mining and
camp/ administrative infrastructure at Mavuzi suggest a relatively large
operation during this period. Possibly as much as a 2km strike interval mined
underground between Mavuzi and Mavuzi airstrip from an interconnected series
of adits and shafts.