Akonolinga rutile deposit in Cameroon set for exploitation phase
The Akonolinga rutile mine, in Central Cameroon, is set to enter its exploitation phase in 2025. The government through Cameroon’s Mines Minister Gabriel Dodo Ndoké and executives of Eramet, the French group in charge of the development of the mining project made the announcement.
Eramet secured the exploration permits in November 2019, consequently enabling the company to conduct the required fieldwork and feasibility studies to obtain mining agreement in future. The permit areas, in central Cameroon, had previously been the subject of preliminary exploration campaigns that identified the rutile potential.
Negotiations
State Minister Gentry added that the negotiations for that mining agreement would start once the result of the last rutile deposit potential’s estimate are available. The new estimate will make Cameroon the world’s largest rutile deposit.
“Eramet is one of the most successful mining companies in Cameroon. They abide by their contractual obligation duties. The next step for them is to obtain the mining agreement,” said Fuh Calistus Gentry, Secretary of State to the Minister of Mines.
For the time being, Cameroon’s rutile potential is close to 3 million tons, making the country the world’s second-largest deposit, behind Sierra Leone. In that regard, the exploitation of Akonolinga rutile deposit will push Cameroon into the rank of the major players in the international market for alloy metals and metallurgy, where rutile is used as the raw material. This will also boost the contribution of the solid mining sector to the country’s GDP. Currently, the sector is contributing less than 1% to Cameroon’s GDP, according to official estimates.
