Mbalam | |
|---|---|
  Mbalam Location in Cameroon | |
| Coordinates: 2°13′00″N13°49′00″E / 02.2167°N 13.8167°E | |
| Country |  Cameroon |
| Province | East Province |
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.
There are two other places in Cameroon with the same name.
A 510 km railway connection to a deepwater port is required to exploit these ore deposits efficiently. Several routes were planned using Quantm software. The railway will start at an elevation of about 650m at the mine, proceed along a fairly level alignment for 350 km, drops steeply for 100 km down to the coastal plain, then traverses that plain for 50 km to the port. [1] The gradients generally favour loaded trains.
In September 2010, Sundance Resources signed a memorandum of understanding with CRCC China-Africa Construction Ltd, which outlined construction plans for a 490 km railway linking the planned iron ore mines to a proposed port near Lolabé. [2] Another Chinese company, China Harbour Engineering Co Ltd (CHEC), will build the port.
A two-stage development of a mine, railway and port for the cross-border iron ore deposits in Cameroon and Congo is estimated to cost US$7.7 billion. [3]
The new railway is expected to carry 35 million tonnes of ore per year for 25 years. [4]
This article provides a breakdown of the transportation options available in Cameroon. The options available to citizens and tourists include railways, roadways, waterways, pipelines, and airlines. These avenues of transportation are used by citizens for personal transportation, by businesses for transporting goods, and by tourists for both accessing the country and traveling while there.
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. Most but not all of the country is connected to the road network, much of which is unpaved, and which centres on seven "national routes" identified as N1 to 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.
Kribi is a beach resort and sea port in Cameroon.
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.
Belinga is a location in Gabon with as yet unexploited iron ore deposits. These ore deposits extend into neighbouring Cameroon and Congo.
Rail transport in Cameroon is primarily operated by Camrail, a subsidiary of Comazar.
Lolabé is a small coastal town in Cameroon. It lies on the Atlantic Ocean, about halfway between Kribi and the border with Equatorial Guinea.
Iron ore production in Africa is dominated by South Africa, Mauritania and Algeria. Many countries possess iron ore deposits that are as yet untapped/unmined. Countries and companies currently involved in production are listed here; measurements are in tonnes per annum(year).
Fortescue Metals Group Ltd is an Australian iron ore company. As of 2017, Fortescue is the fourth largest iron ore producer in the world after BHP, Rio Tinto, and Vale. 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.
Grand Batanga is a coastal village in the South Province of Cameroon. It lies about halfway between the port of Kribi and the Guinea border to the south.
Railway stations in the Republic of the Congo (Congo) include:
The list of railway stations in Cameroon includes:
Railway stations in Guinea include:
Gabon was the richest of the former French Equatorial African colonies in known mineral deposits. In addition to oil, which accounted for 80% of the country's exports in 2004, Gabon is a world leader in manganese. Potash, uranium, niobium, iron ore, lead, zinc, diamonds, marble, and phosphate have also been discovered, and several deposits are being exploited commercially. Ownership of all mineral rights is vested in the government, which has increased its share of the profits accruing to foreign companies under development contracts.
Avima is a mountain in the Republic of Congo near Gabon border to the west, and the Cameroon border to the north. It is a mountain with a 35 km west to east oriented ridge and has few top points which are in range of 950 m above the sea level. Mt. Avima has 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 to 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.
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.
The Christmas Creek mine is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 61 kilometres south-south-west of Nullagine, in the Chichester Range.
Zogota is a town in southeastern Guinea.
The history of rail transport in Liberia began shortly after World War II, when the Freeport of Monrovia was completed, with limited rail access. It had been developed by American military forces.
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.
Coordinates: 2°13′00″N13°49′00″E / 02.2167°N 13.8167°E
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