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Https://allafrica.com/stories/202506060142.html

Liberia: Boakai, Mittal Launch $1.8bn Iron Ore Plant in Nimba

.."The iron ore at ArcelorMittal's Nimba project in Liberia undergoes beneficiation to significantly improve its quality. The raw hematite ore, which has an iron content of 35–37% Fe, is upgraded to a high-grade magnetite concentrate with over 66% Fe. Additionally, the expansion project aims to produce 64–65% Fe ore for the global steel market..."

GLA

.."Amazing. So basically 50 / 50 each..."

No. 'Basically' 56:44.

For someone supposedly concerned about the minutiae of relative ease of mining magnetite vs hematite and the trade-offs of relative costs (and profitability, which you curiously forgot to mention) you seem to switch back to broad brush generalisation when it suits.

There's a description of the proposed mining sequence - and rationale- together with outline costings - in the links provided.

Quite impressive : The more you 'find out', the less you seem to know!

https://www.butler-bowdon.com/eric-berne---games-people-play.html

.."'Why don't you – yes but'

This game begins when a person states a problem in their life, and another responds by offering constructive suggestions on how to solve it. The subject says 'yes, but...' and proceeds to find issue with the solutions. In Adult mode they would examine and probably take on board a solution (an Adult stance), but this is not the purpose of the exchange. Its purpose is to allow the subject to gain sympathy from others in their inadequacy to meet the situation (Child mode). The problem-solvers, in turn, get the opportunity to play wise Parent..."

HTH

Magnetite 56% / hematite 44% per the FS...

https://www.zanagairon.com/project/fs-results

That took 30 secs on google search...

.." But I enjoy reading how you and MM post your thoughts and articles suggesting the Zanaga project will soon lift off. .."

You could return the favour by rising to the challenge I posed.

From Depeches

CEO meets Big Den for an update on its $250m investment in PN and what it hopes to achieve...

.."in the coming months the quay wall will be built to attract large capacity vessels . MSC's dream,‘ he said , ’is to be able to bring high-capacity vessels to Central Africa, in the Gulf of Guinea . ‘For us, what is important is to use the Port of Pointe-Noire, as we do today, to serve the DRC (Matadi), the Congo and other countries in the hinterland, ESPECIALLY IF THE RAIL SYSTEM WERE TO DEVELOP AGAIN in the country’, added the boss of MSC.

As the ocean gateway to Central Africa by its geographical position and its draught, the autonomous port of Pointe-Noire attracts a number of investigors. These advantages make PN an obvious transhipment port. In 2022, MSC became the number one shipping company ahead of Maersk, both in terms of fleet of ships and twenty-foot equivalent (TEU) capacity..."

GLA

More likely to do with 'security' issues.

Back on 19th May I reported a Nguesso nephew's series of urgent meeting with Atallah (National Security; the guy got a medal for his role in the rescue of Capt (Tom Hanks) Phillips /Maersk Alabama Somali piracy), see

https://thesoundofafrica.com/congo-rodrigue-nguessos-recent-meetings-in-washington-to-talk-hezbollah-financing/

Could also be legacy 'pressure' - before Elon and Trump fell out - to 'encourage' C-B to accept StarLink?

Apparently, there's some US concern (duh!) at the discovery that national telecoms in most of Africa are run by the Chinese...

GLA

Hi Driving,

This could just be the Trumpian tactic (cf tariff wars) of 'shock and awe', to soften up for a demand. Not a 'strategy', but we are where we are.

The 'demand' ?

- maybe something re ZIOC, as you suggest? a bit of a long shot, but you never know.

- maybe something else re C-B ? I've postulated Musk's StarLink network looking to expand across Africa - it recently added DRC. Of course, Elon and the Donald are no longer 'besties', but this may have been in the works for a while.

- maybe something else, indirectly involving C-B ? Back on 19th May I reported a Nguesso nephew's series of urgent meeting with Atallah (National Security; the guy got a medal for his role in the rescue of Capt (Tom Hanks) Phillips /Maersk Alabama Somali piracy), see

https://thesoundofafrica.com/congo-rodrigue-nguessos-recent-meetings-in-washington-to-talk-hezbollah-financing/

- maybe just a mistake....? Or some US domestic political angle we haven't thought of...

- or maybe just 'because'? Or a general 'shot across the bows'?

You get the drift.

Let's see if ZIOC twitter has anything to say about this!

ATB

Hi Jiving,

I think it's C-B, because it's of limited (so far) commercial or strategic interest to 'Team Trump' :

- comatose hotel industry; mediocre golf https://golfclubbrazzaville.cg/; little existing US commercial activity/interests. The potentially strategic PN - 'gateway to Central Africa' is in (relatively friendly) French or UAE hands....*

- DRC's mineral resources and potential are already a juicy bone for the powers to pick over....and there's an insurgency that might be helpful to the Donald in striking a 'protection' deal.

-DRC has a track record of 'strategic minerals' that the US wants to get its hands on...and is prepared to offer 'protection' from Rwanda-backed M23 insurgents;

- Musk has already achieved his goal, getting Starlink in recently.

https://pctechmag.com/2025/06/starlink-beams-in-drc-expanding-footprint-to-19-african-countries/

DRC has size (geographic) and population -100 million to C-B's 6 million or so. It probably also has more potential (Inga etc).

* In other news, the UAE has just invested in a tin mine in the DRC...

https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/energy/2025/06/04/abu-dhabis-irh-acquires-majority-stake-in-congos-tin-producer-for-367-million/

.."IRH is part of 2PointZero, which was set up by IHC last year, with more than Dh100 billion ($27.2 billion) in assets.

The company has been expanding its operations globally, with a focus on energy transition minerals and resources such as copper, cobalt, nickel, lithium, 3T (tin, tantalum and tungsten), manganese and graphite.

Last year, IRH completed the acquisition of Mopani Copper Mines in Zambia, to expand its operations in the mining sector, for $1.1 billion. It also signed a joint venture agreement for mineral exploration in Balochistan province of Pakistan in March.

Its other agreements include a collaboration with South Africa’s Public Investment Corporation, with a focus on unlocking value across the mining, green energy and transport and logistics sectors..."

Maybe, baby.

ATB

C-B is on the list of countries subject to Trump's new travel ban (on countries that display 'hostile attitudes' to the US and/or represent a 'national security risk').

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/trump-announces-travel-ban-affecting-a-dozen-countries-set-to-go-into-effect-monday

GLA

PS

...but no longer 'outgoing' : C-B is on the list of countries subject to Trump's new travel ban (on countries that display 'hostile attitudes' to the US and/or represent a 'national security risk').

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/trump-announces-travel-ban-affecting-a-dozen-countries-set-to-go-into-effect-monday

GLA

(A)...."There is an obvious and unstoppable move in African countries to require the 'foreign invaders' to stop exporting ores on DSO basis (a la Pilbara style to China) and start in-country beneficiation leading to investment, taxes, employment etc in the host country.."

as I for one have been pointing out for some time - 'resource nationalism' - cf Gabon, Guinea etc.

(B) .."The issue is ... (1) whether Govt want the project in their country to proceed; (2) whether Govt wants the 'foreign invader' to be the (a)owner/ (b) driver of the project, (3) whether the partners and stakeholders to the project are connected in the right way to the right people, and (4) whether the locals are getting enough in (a) declared and (b) undeclared cash flows ......."

You've consistently been a 'taker', so far, rather than a'giver' - and either curmudgeonly when being (politely) put right or ungracious in your repeated gratuitous and snide references to 'message board promoters'.

Here's an opportunity for you to redeem yourself somewhat : please play 'Devil's advocate/message board promoter/ZIOC marketing bod' and give us what YOU think THEY would say in answer to your (perfectly reasonable) questions re the Zanaga Project above, ennumerated for ease of reference.

Thank you.

From the original link :

.."Our author used artificial intelligence to enhance this article..."

Natural stupidity + artificial intelligence = a dangerous combination, AFAICS.

ATB

Ah!

So 'incoming' means 'hoped-for or expected news

recap', rather than anything concrete.

Got it!

Thanks.

Zanaga Iron Ore

@Zanaga_Iron_Ore

·

1h

#ZIOC's experienced management team is complimented by an investor base that features some of the #mining industry's leading figures. As we progress our project enhancement workstreams, we are doing so with the backing of a supportive and knowledgeable suite of shareholders."

That'll get the Strategics reaching for their cheque-books.

It's not as though there's any shortage of news that ZIOC might share with its 727 twitter following, surely?

C'mon guys : you can do better than this.

GLA

ZIOC's own twitter feed ignores that (GROK-inspired?) playbook and concentrates (geddit?) on the REAL story...

Zanaga Iron Ore

@Zanaga_Iron_Ore

·

1h

#ZIOC's experienced management team is complimented by an investor base that features some of the #mining industry's leading figures. As we progress our project enhancement workstreams, we are doing so with the backing of a supportive and knowledgeable suite of shareholders..."

Ho hum.

Interesting!

Source, pls?

BSL' s press release just says it's looking at production in UK, Europe and Canada - would the Gulfies finance that?

Cheers!

Bottom line : for various reasons, magnetite exploitation in Oz often isn't cost-competitive/commercially viable.....

Cheers!

Oops! I didn't see your follow-up to original note.

Hi Feeks,

Thanks for the heads up!

https://www.bindingsolutions.uk/2025/06/british-steel-and-binding-solutions-successfully-complete-250t-cold-agglomerated-pellet-trial/

.."The trial proved the operational effectiveness of BSL’s CAPs in a blast furnace, with blast furnace stability maintained whilst continuing to meet the plant’s required performance parameters. BSL’s CAPs can therefore replace up to 8% of indurated pellets in a blast furnace, offering a viable and near term opportunity for the steel industry to reduce emissions from primary steel making..."

Binding Solutions' technology seems to be intended for helping reduce emissions at blast furnaces, from the above only (at present) replacing 8 percent of the feedstock, AIUI.

ZIOC - again AIUI - is hoping its product will be used as feedstock for DRI steel .......which does not use blast furnaces. Instead, DRI relies on shaft furnaces or rotary kilns, where iron ore is reduced using carbon monoxide and hydrogen at temperatures below 1,200°C—without melting the ore.

This process is more energy-efficient than traditional blast furnaces and is increasingly favored for low-carbon steelmaking...."

The OTHER BSL - British Steel - is now owned by the Chinese Jingye Group and I wonder whether there's any tie-up Jingye might have with ''our' EPC contract PSEI /Kunming?

ATB

Hi MM,

.."However, it’s the very specific grade of iron ore needed to produce DRI steel that will be the blocker.

Australian iron ore producers ship hematite, which has a high (but in the Pilbara’s case declining) grade in the ground. But it is magnetite concentrates, which need to be beneficiated to deliver higher grades with lower impurities to the market, that are key for DRI..."

The thesis is that Australia has a shortage of suitable high-grade ore, either for direct use or for blending with 'Pilbara rust'.

This article suggests that there's no shortage of magnetite in Australia, which puzzles me, esp in light of the recent revelations re increasing export shortfall of Pilbara 62% fines and consequent (Argus-led) initiative to revise the definition...

https://www.energymining.sa.gov.au/industry/geological-survey/mesa-journal/previous-feature-articles/magnetite_south_australias_potential

.." [since the mid 2000's] the demand for iron ore rapidly expanded, principally due to activity in China. Since then a resource base totalling 15.9 Bt of magnetite ore has been defined across three regions in the state with potential to significantly extend this (Table 1; Fig. 1). In 2015 Geoscience Australia reported that magnetite represented 44% of our nations ‘economically demonstrated resource’ base of iron ore resources (Geoscience Australia, pers. comm. 2017). South Australia’s economically demonstrated resource of magnetite ore currently totals over 6 Bt...."

On the face of it, the Govt article (OK, South Australia, not Western Australia) says there's no shortage of magnetite, the business world's working assumption - and action - is that there is a shortage. How to reconcile the two points of view? Does GROK have anything to say?

TIA!