The region has had a history of iron production, which is evident by the ancient iron furnaces that remain in the district.

There has been a long association of Russian and Belarus geoscientists with Guinea through the country’s Geological Survey society. Early 20th century Russian geologists mapped the geology and structure of the area as evidenced in a 1936 paper, which also noted the ferruginous deposits and haematite outcrops at Kalia.

The Guinea Geological Survey (GGS) has subsequently identified two zones of gold prospectivity and another, containing corundum, within the Kalia tenement area.

Continued geological assessment occurred from the 1960s to mid 1990s by Russian academics and the BRGM.

The main recorded economic assessment was undertaken by Zarubezhgeologica Co. in the 1960s and early 1970s, who traversed the magnetite-heamatite rich areas around Kalia and completed geological and structural mapping.