Diamond Project Taking Shape
Plans are underway to take the giant Mobilong project off the ground by the end of the year.
Cameroon’s diamond reserves reportedly stand at over 736 million carats and analysts say this could catapult the country to one of the leading diamond exporters when exploitation gets underway. The task of realising this dream rests on the shoulders of a joint Cameroon-Korean company, C&K Mining, which made the discovery. Records show that in June 2009 gem-quality and industrial diamonds were discovered at Mobilong, located southeast of Yokadouma, Boumba and Ngoko Division of the East Region.
While C&K Mining waits for an exploitation licence to effectively take the project off the ground hopefully towards the end of 2010, groundwork is ongoing to prepare the environment for efficiency when the project takes shape. On July 9, 2010 the governments of Cameroon and Korea signed the diamond mining agreement. The agreement was signed at the Prime Minister’s office by the Minister of Industries, Mines and Technological Development, Badel Ndanga Ndinga for Cameroon while C&K Mining’s Chief Executive Officer, Duk-Kyun Oh signed for his company. This was under the auspices of the Prime Minister, Philemon Yang. Mr Duk-Kyun Oh in a statement to the press during the ceremony said C&K Mining company has mobilised enormous financial, equipment and human resources to begin aspects of the mine development as soon as the mining lease is issued. The agreement is said to be an intermediary step towards obtaining an exploitation licence. All efforts to get up-to-date information on the project failed as the company’s resource persons are reportedly on an annual leave and would only resume work in September.
However, initial production will reportedly start at the alluvial level with an annual output of 50,000 carats and is expected to rise to over 800,000 or one million carats when exploitation reaches high gear. Over 1,500 direct and 5,000 indirect jobs are up for grasp as well as plans to develop social programmes like schools, hospitals, potable water and other social amenities to the local population. According to a document from the Department of Mines and Geology of the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Technological Development, outlining the state of advancement of mining projects in Cameroon, the Mobilong diamond project will from the start put in the market 6,600 carats of diamond.
C&K Mining was served a Mobilong mining research permit on April 26, 2006 and renewed on April 25, 2009 after which they declared that the area contains 230,000 carats of exploitable diamond. The exploitation licence is expected to be preceded by the presentation of the project’s feasibility studies.
Godlove BAINKONG
