{{Short description|Iron-ore project in Guinea}} {{Infobox mine | name = Simandou mine | image = | caption = | coordinates = {{coord|08|31|N|08|54|W|display=inline,title}} | place = Simandou Range | subdivision_type = Region | state/province = Nzérékoré Region | country = Guinea | products = Iron ore | opening year = November 11, 2025<ref>{{cite web |title=Simandou partners celebrate start of operations |url=https://www.riotinto.com/en/news/releases/2025/simandou-partners-celebrate-start-of-operations |website=Rio Tinto}}</ref> }}
The '''Simandou mine''' is a very large, high-grade iron-ore deposit in the southern highlands of Guinea. Running along the crest of the Simandou range in the Nzérékoré Region, the project holds an estimated 2.4 billion tonnes of ore grading 65 percent iron, making it one of the largest untapped iron-ore resources in the world.<ref name="muncelu">{{cite web |title=Faits et chiffres (Facts and Numbers) |url=http://www.riotintosimandou.com/FRA/project_overview/33_faits_et_chiffres.asp |publisher=Rio Tinto Simandou |year=2013 |access-date=14 June 2013}}</ref> Development was delayed for decades by ownership disputes, corruption allegations, and the need for a 622-kilometre railway and a deep-water port to reach the Atlantic coast.<ref name="ft2024">{{cite news |last=Wilson |first=Tom |title=World’s biggest mining project to start after 27 years of setbacks and scandals |work=Financial Times |date=7 January 2024 |url=https://www.ft.com/content/80f37963-c718-4f8b-8d77-0f0d5b1c99fe |access-date=11 January 2025}}</ref> Commercial exports began in late 2025, with the first shipments going to China.<ref>{{cite news |title=China receives first shipment of Simandou iron ore |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-receives-first-shipment-simandou-iron-ore-2026-01-18/ |agency=Reuters |date=January 17, 2026}}</ref>
Chinese commentators have described Simandou as strategically important to China’s efforts to diversify iron ore imports away from Australia and increase long-term supply security. The project’s development accelerated amid broader geopolitical tensions between China and Australia following the formation of the AUKUS security pact in 2021. Declining Chinese steel demand combined with increased supply from Simandou could place pressure on Australia’s Pilbara region.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-first-simandou-iron-ore-093000264.html |title=Why first Simandou iron ore shipment to China marks a global milestone |website=Yahoo Finance |date=15 November 2025 |access-date=14 December 2025}}</ref>
== Geology and reserves == Simandou is hosted in metamorphosed banded-iron formations (itabirites) that were later enriched to hematite and hematite–goethite ore. Two principal lenses, Pic de Fon and Ouéléba, lie about four kilometres apart at the southern end of the range. Each lens extends roughly 7.5 kilometres and is up to one kilometre wide.<ref name="RioTintoNews">{{cite press release |title=Rio Tinto – Iron ore resources, Simandou, Republic of Guinea |publisher=RNS |date=29 May 2008 |url=http://www.hemscott.com/servlet/HsPublic?context=ir.access&ir_option=RNS_NEWS&item=64497524081696&ir_client_id=1245 |access-date=12 December 2010}}</ref> Total reserves are estimated at 2.25–2.40 billion tonnes of high-grade ore.<ref name="muncelu" /><ref name="RioTintoNews" />
== History == Rio Tinto obtained an exploration licence for Blocks 3 & 4 in 1997. In 2008 the Guinean government removed Blocks 1 & 2 from Rio Tinto and awarded them to Beny Steinmetz Group Resources, triggering more than a decade of litigation.<ref name="Reuters2011">{{cite news |title=Rio reaches accord with Guinea over Simandou |work=Reuters |date=22 April 2011 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/riotinto-guinea/rio-reaches-accord-with-guinea-over-simandou-idUSLDE73L0WY20110422 |access-date=14 March 2017}}</ref>
In 2010 BSGR sold 51% of its Simandou interest to Vale for US$2.5 billion, but Guinea soon began investigating how the rights had been obtained. The government revoked BSGR’s licence in 2014; arbitration and civil cases followed on three continents, and a United States court dismissed Rio Tinto’s racketeering suit against BSGR and Vale in 2015.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-20/steinmetz-bsg-resources-win-ruling-dismissing-rio-tinto-suit |title=Steinmetz, BSG Resources win dismissal of Rio Tinto lawsuit |work=Bloomberg |date=20 November 2015 |access-date=11 January 2025}}</ref> In February 2019 Guinea and BSGR settled their dispute; BSGR relinquished Simandou but retained an interest in the smaller Zogota deposit.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/feb/25/beny-steinmetz-settles-dispute-guinea-iron-ore-simandou |title=Beny Steinmetz settles dispute with Guinea over iron-ore project |work=The Guardian |date=25 February 2019 |access-date=11 January 2025}}</ref>
Completing the mine, as well as the railway and port, cost $20 billion.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Akalaare Adombila |first1=Maxwell |title=Guinea aims for global high-grade iron ore leverage with Simandou launch |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/guinea-aims-global-high-grade-iron-ore-leverage-with-simandou-launch-2025-11-12/ |agency=Reuters |date=November 12, 2025}}</ref>
At full capacity Simandou is expected to ship up to 95 million tonnes of ore each year, most of it destined for Chinese steel mills.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.riotinto.com/ourbusiness/simandou-4695.aspx |title=Simandou – Rio Tinto |publisher=Rio Tinto |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131210105149/http://www.riotinto.com/ourbusiness/simandou-4695.aspx |archive-date=10 December 2013 |access-date=25 June 2015}}</ref> The first export shipment took place in December 2025.<ref name="ft2024" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-first-simandou-iron-ore-093000264.html |title=Why first Simandou iron ore shipment to China marks a global milestone |website=Yahoo Finance |date=15 November 2025 |access-date=14 December 2025}}</ref>
== Corruption investigations == In April 2013 the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Frédéric Cilins, an agent for BSGR, after recordings suggested he had tried to destroy documents that might prove bribes were paid to secure the concession; he later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years in prison.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/apr/16/fbi-arrest-bribery-10bn-mountain |title=FBI arrests agent over bribery cover-up claim in battle over ten-billion-dollar mountain |work=The Guardian |date=16 April 2013 |access-date=11 January 2025}}</ref>
Further controversy arose in 2016 when Rio Tinto disclosed a US$10.5 million payment to François de Combret, an adviser close to President Alpha Condé, made in 2011 while renegotiating its Simandou stake. The revelation prompted probes by the UK Serious Fraud Office, the United States Department of Justice, and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jul/24/rio-tinto-sfo-investigation-guinea-suspected-corruption |title=SFO investigates Rio Tinto over Guinea operations |work=The Guardian |date=25 July 2017 |access-date=11 January 2025}}</ref> In 2023 the SEC charged Rio Tinto with failing to maintain adequate anti-bribery controls.<ref name="sec2023">{{cite press release |title=SEC charges Rio Tinto plc with bribery-controls failures |publisher=U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission |date=13 March 2023 |url=https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2023-46 |access-date=16 January 2024}}</ref>
== Corporate affairs == Responsibility for the deposit is split between two project vehicles.
*Simfer S.A. holds the mining title for Blocks 3 and 4. It is owned 45.05% by Rio Tinto, 39.95% by Chinalco and 15% by the Government of Guinea.<ref name="ft2024" />
*Winning Consortium Simandou S.A. (WCS) controls Blocks 1 and 2. WCS was incorporated in 2019 and is owned 45% by Singapore-based Winning International Group, 35% by China Hongqiao Group and 20% by the Guinean logistics firm United Mining Supply; in addition the Government of Guinea holds a free-carried 15% interest in the mining company.<ref name="wcs2021">{{cite web |title=Corporate profile |website=Winning Consortium Simandou |url=https://wcsglobal.com/en/about |access-date=4 June 2025}}</ref>
In July 2022 Simfer, WCS and the Guinean state formed a dedicated infrastructure company, Compagnie du TransGuinéen (CTG), to finance, build and operate the 622-kilometre rail line and the deep-water port near Matakong. CTG is owned 42.5% by Simfer, 42.5% by WCS and 15% by the Government of Guinea.<ref name="ft2024" />
== See also == * Mining industry of Guinea * Mbalam mine in Cameroon * Falémé mine in Senegal * Tonkolili mine in Sierra Leone * Gâra Djebilet mine in Algeria
== External links == * [https://riotintoguinee.com/en/simandou-project/ Rio Tinto Simandou project] * [https://wcsglobal.com/en/csr_part/project-description Winning Consortium Simandou]
== References == {{reflist}}
Category:Iron mines in Guinea Category:Mining in Guinea Category:Rio Tinto (corporation)