Belinga

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Belinga is a location in Gabon with as yet unexploited iron ore deposits. These ore deposits extend into neighbouring Cameroon and Congo.

Contents

Mining

The Belinga iron reserves were discovered in 1895. [1] [2] They are estimated to hold about one billion tons of iron ore. [2]

Iron ore mining was expected to start in 2011 [3] but due to a lack of financing the project was currently on hold. [4]

Because of slowness in getting the project started, the Chinese rights may be in 2012 given to BHP. [5]

In 2023, Fortescue Metals Group started exporting 2 million tonnes of ore using road and rail transport to reach the port of Owendo. [6]

Transport

A 237 km long railway branch line is proposed branching from Booue to enable these deposits to be exploited. As the tonneages hauled will be greatly increased, this line may also extend to a port at Santa Clara which would extend the railway to 560 km. [7]

The town is near the Republic of Congo and Cameroon borders.

See also

Related Research Articles

Modes of transport in Gabon include rail, road, water, and air. The one rail link, the Trans-Gabon Railway, connects the port of Owendo with the inland town of Franceville. While most of the country is connected by roads, not all areas are accessible. Much of the road network remains unpaved, and it primarily revolves around seven "national routes" labeled N1 through N7. The largest seaports are Port-Gentil and the newer Owendo, and 1,600 km of inland waterways are navigable. There are three international airports, eight other paved airports, and over 40 with unpaved runways. Nearly 300 km of pipelines carry petroleum products, mainly crude oil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trans-Gabon Railway</span> Railway line in Gabon

The Trans-Gabon Railway is the only railway in Gabon. It runs 670 km (420 mi) east from Owendo port station in Libreville to Franceville via numerous stations, the main ones being Ndjolé, Lopé, Booué, Lastoursville and Moanda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Congo–Ocean Railway</span> Public railway in the Republic of the Congo

The Congo–Ocean Railway links the Atlantic port of Pointe-Noire with Brazzaville, a distance of 502 kilometres (312 mi). It bypasses the rapids on the lower Congo River; from Brazzaville, river boats are able to ascend the Congo River and its major tributaries, including the Oubangui River to Bangui.

Mbalam is a place in Cameroon near the southern border with the Republic of the Congo where there are significant deposits of iron ore. The mining company is Sundance Resources Limited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fortescue (company)</span> Iron ore mining company in Western Australia

Fortescue is a global metal mining company headquartered in Australia. Fortescue focused on iron ore mining under the name of Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) until July 2023. As of 2017, Fortescue is the fourth-largest iron ore producer in the world. The company has holdings of more than 87,000 km2 in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, making it the largest tenement holder in the state, larger than both BHP and Rio Tinto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mayoko District</span> District in Niari Department, Republic of the Congo

Mayoko District is a district in the Niari Department of south-western Republic of the Congo. The capital lies at Mayoko. It has a northern border with Gabon. As of 2007, the population is 5,147.

Despite being a mineral rich country, Cameroon has only recently begun to investigate mining on an industrial scale. Strong metal and industrial mineral prices since 2003 have encouraged companies to develop mines here. The terrain mainly consists of granite-rich ground with areas of ultramafic rocks that are sources of cobalt and nickel. There are also deposits of bauxite, gold, iron ore, nepheline syenite, and rutile. Alluvial gold is mainly mined by artisanal miners.

Railway stations in Sierra Leone include:

Railway stations in the Republic of the Congo (Congo) include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Railway stations in Cameroon</span>

The list of railway stations in Cameroon includes:

Up to 2012 Chad had no rail system. Two lines are planned to Sudan and Cameroon from the capital, with construction expected to start in February 2016 and be complete in 4 years.

The Monts Avima are a mountain range in the Republic of the Congo near Gabon border to the west, and the Cameroon border to the north. The highest peak is the Mt. Avima in a 40 km west to east oriented ridge with several other top points which exceed 900 m above sea level. These mounts have a significant deposit of iron ore and few small gold placer deposits. The mountain is covered by rain-forest. The forest is inhabited by a small local tribe of native people who live on from hunting and from alluvial gold mining. Between March and September 2009 it was an access road built from Cameroon border to Mt. Avima for a mining exploration program arriving to the top of the mountain. After the exploration program, the road was covered by the rain forest blocking the access by vehicles to the mountain. Due to the significant quantities and qualities of iron ore discovered, it is expected that mining activities will start in the future.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sundance Resources</span>

Sundance Resources Limited is an Australian mining company, based in Perth, Western Australia, whose main assets are iron ore leases in Cameroon near Mbalam, and across the border in the Republic of Congo. Following the loss of the Congo mining licence in 2020, Sundance Resources delisted from the Australian Securities Exchange and sued Congo to acquire $8.76 billion in compensation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fortescue railway</span> Private railway in Pilbara region of Western Australia

The Fortescue railway, owned and operated by Fortescue Metals Group (FMG), is a private rail network in the Pilbara region of Western Australia built to carry iron ore. It opened in 2008. When it was completed, it was the heaviest haul railway in the world, designed for 40 tonne axle loads, 2.5 to 5 tonnes heavier than the other Pilbara iron ore rail systems. On 4 November 2014, FMG Rail commenced trialling 42-tonne axle loads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Whaleback mine</span> Iron ore mine in Western Australia

The Mount Whaleback mine, officially the Newman West operation, is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, six kilometres west of Newman.

The Christmas Creek mine is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 61 km south-south-west of Nullagine, in the Chichester Range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iron ore mining in Western Australia</span> Mining in Western Australia

Iron ore mining in Western Australia, in the 2018–19 financial year, accounted for 54 percent of the total value of the state's resource production, with a value of A$78.2 billion. The overall value of the minerals and petroleum industry in Western Australia was A$145 billion in 2018–19, a 26 percent increase on the previous financial year.

The Jimblebar mine is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 41 kilometres east of Newman.

Mining in the Republic of the Congo

Oil and gas dominate the extraction industries of the Republic of the Congo, also referred to as Congo-Brazzaville. The petroleum industry accounted for 89% of the country’s exports in 2010. Among African crude oil producers in 2010, The Congo ranked seventh. Nearly all of the country's hydrocarbons were produced off-shore. The minerals sector is administered by the Department of Mines and Geology. Presently no major mining activities are underway, although there are some small-scale domestic operations. However, the country does have numerous large-scale undeveloped resources. The country has recently attracted a strong influx of international companies seeking to tap into the vast mineral wealth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Compagnie minière de l'Ogooué</span> Mining and processing company

The Compagnie minière de l'Ogooué, or COMILOG, is a manganese mining and processing company based in Moanda, Gabon. It is a subsidiary of the French metallurgical group Eramet. The company is the world's second largest producer of manganese ore. At first the ore was carried by a cableway to the border with the Republic of the Congo, then by rail to the sea at Pointe-Noire. In the 1980s a railway was built to carry the ore through Gabon to the sea near Libreville.

References

  1. William Adams Hance, The Geography of Modern Africa (1975), page 304.
  2. 1 2 Douglas A. Yates, "Gabon", in Africa Yearbook: Politics, Economy and Society South of the Sahara 2006 (2007), page 257.
  3. http://www.fin24.com/articles/default/display_article.aspx?ArticleId=1518-25_2131461%5B%5D
  4. "BankTrack.org - dodgydeals - Belinga iron ore project". Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2011-11-01.
  5. "UPDATE: Mining Rights to Gabon's Belinga Iron Ore Deposit in BHP Billiton's Hands Soon". International Business Times . Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  6. Belinga iron ore
  7. China to build Gabon railway.(News)

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