Mbalam mine
The Mbalam mine refers to a series of ongoing attempts to mine iron ore from the Mbalam iron ore deposit in Cameroon and the Republic of the Congo.
Mbalam Deposit
The Mbalam deposit is located primarily in south-east Cameroon in the East Region, along its southern border with the Republic of the Congo. It also extends into the Congo, where it connects to the Nabeba and Ibanga deposits. The deposit is variously estimated to contain of ore at 40% iron composition, or with 62% iron composition. The deposit was initially identified by the United Nations Development Programme in the 1970s and 1980s. Mining proposals in the 2010s aimed for 35-40 million tonnes of annual production from the deposit.Status
Attempts to perform large-scale mining on the Mbalam deposit date back to at least 2005, but plans for the mines have been consistently delayed.2000s
In 2005, Australia's Sundance Resources incorporated a subsidiary company, Cam Iron SA, to begin mining. Sundance/Cam Iron's exploratory drilling began in 2007.2010s
Nothing more than installation and exploratory work had begun by the mid-2010s, according to Sundance reports and a UNDP grant application. Sundance completed its Definitive Feasibility Study on the first phase of its mining plans in 2011. In 2014, production was expected to start in 2017.However, Sundance encountered difficulties in finding investors. They were granted at least two extensions to secure additional funding, in July 2017 and early 2018. By 2021, both Cameroon and the Congo had revoked its mining rights to the deposit. Sundance and the two countries have a pending case before the International Court of Arbitration, with an expected resolution no sooner than 2026 for the Cameroonian component.