South Region: Major limestone deposit discovered

The Institute of Geological and Mining Research (IRGM) of Cameroon reports the discovery of a major limestone deposit type C1, C2 and C3, used in the manufacture of cement, has been discovered in the town of Mintom in the Southern Region.

With 45th calcium oxide content, this mine limestone, dolomite, also has a usable depth of 130 meters estimated.The deposit buried in the basement of the town of Mintom is estimated at 540 million m3.

Speaking in Douala recently, the Director of the Institute of Geological and Mining Research (IRGM), Joseph Victor Hell, said the operation of the limestone deposit of Mintom will cause a tremendous decline in the price of a bag of cement produced locally.

According to experts, the West African country’s needs in this material increases rapidly yearly, with a market deficit oscillating between 2.5 and 3 million tonnes for a capacity of between 3.7 and 4 million annual tons.

To Investiraucameroun.com in the early 2010s, the Cameroonian government and the Chinese company CATIR, had signed an agreement to establish an extraction unit and processing limestone to produce clinker in this locality. The project has not taken off so far.