News & Media

Gabon’s Milingui iron-ore project is moving closer to reality, with preparatory works now visibly advancing in the Nyanga province and the country targeting the start of mining operations before the end of 2026. Developed by Havilah Mining Gabon, the project is emerging as a potentially important second pillar of Gabon’s iron-ore ambitions alongside the much larger Bélinga development in the north-east of the country.

Recent inspections of the Milingui site have confirmed the mobilisation of heavy equipment, construction of access and security infrastructure, development of a mine camp and preparation of supporting facilities. Chinese engineering company COVEC is involved in infrastructure works, including a major culvert on the access route, while a Petro Gabon service station is also being developed to support the operation.

For a project whose origins stretch back almost seven decades, the change is significant.

A project with a long history

Milingui has been associated with iron-ore development since the late 1950s, with early attempts dating back to 1958. Historical exploration was subsequently undertaken in the 1960s, including work by France's BRGM. More recent geological and geophysical work has substantially increased understanding of the resource. 

Havilah Consolidated Resources, the parent group of Havilah Mining Gabon, says historical work identified saleable canga direct ore, while subsequent exploration and geophysical surveys indicated a much larger iron-ore system. The project entered a new phase after Havilah secured the Milingui exploration permit and conducted several years of additional exploration, geological, metallurgical and environmental studies.

In May 2026, the Gabonese government and Havilah Mining Gabon signed the mining convention that formally opened the way for exploitation. The government described the agreement as the country's first iron-ore mining convention to proceed into exploitation. Gabon's Minister of Mines and Geological Resources, Sosthène Nguema Nguema, said the agreement followed nine years of exploration and signalled the transition from exploration to mining. “This stage consists of moving to the exploitation phase after approval of the mining permit.”

A 500 Mt opportunity

Current government and company estimates put Milingui's potential at approximately 500 Mt of iron ore, making it one of Gabon's largest known iron deposits after Bélinga. Importantly, however, the entire geological potential should not be confused with immediately mineable production. Havilah has identified approximately 35 Mt of Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) for the initial development phase. DSO offers the project a potentially faster route into the market because the ore can be shipped with comparatively limited processing before export.

Havilah Mining Gabon associated director Dr Gabriel Kamga said the company intends to begin with this higher-value, immediately marketable component of the resource. “We will first develop the Direct Shipping Ore, which today amounts to almost 35 Mt,” said Kamga in May.

The approach provides a logical staging strategy: establish the mine and export chain around the DSO resource first, then potentially expand production and processing as infrastructure and market conditions develop.

The mine is beginning to take physical shape

The latest activity on site suggests that Milingui is moving beyond planning and into practical project development. A September inspection found increasing volumes of mobile equipment on site, temporary fuel infrastructure with a capacity of 20,000 litres, two security checkpoints and ongoing work on the access corridor. COVEC was reported to be completing a major culvert over the Dounou River, while earthworks were under way for a Petro Gabon service station. Havilah also selected a new location for its permanent mine camp, with earthworks progressing towards foundation construction.

The local administration has welcomed the progress. Mougoutsi Prefect Patrice Mounguengui said: “Receive, through me, the congratulations of the government.” He was referring to the work being undertaken in preparation for the project and its eventual development. For Havilah, the next challenge is translating this visible progress into delivery against the commitments made to the state.

More than a mine: the Nyanga industrial opportunity

Milingui is significant not only because of its resource size, but because it forms part of a broader attempt by Gabon to diversify its mining economy. The government has increasingly identified the Nyanga province as a future mining and industrial centre. 

Alongside Milingui iron ore, the region contains projects involving potash, marble, nickel and copper. Gabon's President H.E Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema reviewed the implementation schedules for several of these projects, including Milingui, and called for faster execution. The government says the combined developments could generate between 6,000 and 7,000 direct and indirect jobs across the province.

The strategic objective is broader than simply exporting another raw commodity. Gabon has been pursuing a policy of increasing domestic processing and capturing more value from its mineral resources. Earlier government commentary on Milingui envisaged local transformation of iron ore, while Mining Minister Gilles Nembe said the Tchibanga-Mayumba corridor could become a major industrial zone.

That ambition could eventually position Milingui within a larger industrial ecosystem rather than as an isolated mine.

Infrastructure will determine how quickly Milingui can scale

The project's location creates both an opportunity and a challenge. Milingui is located in the Tchibanga area of Nyanga and relatively close to the planned Mayumba port, potentially providing a future export outlet for iron ore and other mineral developments in the south-west of Gabon. Havilah has previously identified the development of logistics solutions as an essential part of scaling the operation. This makes transport infrastructure one of the most important variables in the project's future.

The development of the access road, mine infrastructure, potential export facilities and downstream processing capacity will need to remain synchronised. The wider Mayumba logistics strategy is still evolving, with technical studies for the proposed deep-water port only now being advanced. For Milingui, therefore, the mine itself may no longer be the only critical path. Getting the ore from pit to market efficiently will be just as important as getting the pit into production.

Employment could provide an immediate local dividend

Employment is another major component of the government's expectations for Milingui.

At the May 2026 mining convention, Havilah said the first phase could create approximately 530 direct jobs and 1,100 indirect jobs. A second phase, expected within roughly three years, could increase employment to around 830 direct and more than 2,000 indirect positions. Earlier company planning also envisaged an initial production phase of approximately 2–4 Mtpa, potentially rising to 5–7 Mtpa in a later phase, subject to the required logistics infrastructure.

These figures are important for Nyanga, where the project is being positioned as a catalyst for broader economic activity rather than simply a standalone mining operation.

The outlook: 2026 could be the inflection point

The immediate milestone is clear: Gabon expects Milingui to enter production in late 2026. The government has previously identified November 2026 as the planned start of exploitation, while more recent reporting indicates that Havilah expects a first export before the end of the year. Whether the project meets that timetable will depend on the completion of site infrastructure, commissioning, logistics and the establishment of a reliable export chain.

There are also longer-term questions.

The first phase is relatively straightforward compared with the project's ultimate potential: develop the DSO resource, establish production, build market credibility and generate cash flow. The bigger opportunity comes if Havilah can progressively move towards higher production volumes and greater local processing. That would align Milingui with Gabon's broader industrial policy and could give the country another significant mineral value chain alongside its established manganese industry.

But the project should also be viewed realistically. A 500 Mt geological potential does not automatically translate into 500 Mt of economically recoverable or exportable material. The pace of resource conversion, infrastructure investment, capital availability, operating performance and commodity prices will ultimately determine how much of that potential can be realised.

From forgotten deposit to potential mining catalyst

Milingui's importance therefore extends beyond its estimated resource. After nearly 70 years of intermittent development, the project is finally showing the physical signs of becoming a mine. The May 2026 mining convention, mobilisation of equipment and construction of supporting infrastructure have moved the project into a fundamentally different phase. For Gabon, the timing is strategically important.

Bélinga remains the country's flagship iron-ore development, but Milingui offers a second opportunity to establish Gabon as a meaningful iron-ore producer while simultaneously opening up the mineral potential of the Nyanga province. For Havilah, the immediate objective is execution: complete the remaining works, establish the mine and logistics chain, deliver the first shipment and demonstrate that the long-delayed Milingui resource can operate commercially.

If those milestones are achieved, 2026 may ultimately be remembered as the year Milingui stopped being a long-promised Gabonese mining project and became an operating asset. The next chapter will be measured not by the size of the resource in the ground, but by how efficiently Gabon and Havilah can turn that resource into production, exports, local value addition and lasting economic benefits for Nyanga.