The_Open_Door_deel1

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Some reasons why the Wologisi Project did not materialize
The ore reserves of the Wologisi range are certainly attractive.
Proven tonnages of iron ore in the Wologisi Main Ore Body are
685 million tons, with an Fe-content between 33-5 and 54? and if
one includes the Balagisi ore body proven ore reserves amount to
1,285 million tons. At a mining rate of 28 million tons a year,
envisaged by the prospective investors, this would be sufficient
for over 20 years of (open pit) mining. Additional tonnages not
yet proved may extend the life of the Wologisi mine by a further
20 years (135).
The opening of the Wologisi mine would necessitate investments
which at the end of 1977 were estimated at $ 1 billion (136).
Such a large investment raises difficulties as to the financing
of such a venture (vide the difficulties LAMCO experienced in
realising its investments in the Nimba iron ore deposits which
were of much higher quality). It also raises the question of the
profitibility because the higher the investment costs are the
longer it will take before any profits are realized from the
venture (regardless of any advantage such an investment may offer
in view of its guaranteed source of supply).
The main disadvantage of the ore deposits is their location in
the far interior of a country whose lack of infrastructure will
necessitate large investments in infra structural development by
future investors. For that reason the Japanese Group suggested
that the Liberian Government should seek assistance from the
Japanese Government (in the form of loans) for some of the
infrastructural development of the Project (137). This is
reminiscent of the mining of the Bomi Hills ore reserves by
Liberia's pioneering mining company L.M.C. whose exploitation
was greatly facilitated by the construction of infrastructural
improvements from U.S. Lend Lease Funds. The Wologisi Range is
only accessible by laterite roads, laterite airstrip and foot
trails which lead to the surrounding towns. None of these are
any use for the transport of the ore to the coast where it will
be shipped. Unlike the Nimba Ore reserves the Wologisi deposits
are not of such an extremely high Fe-content that the construction
of e.g. a railroad is warranted. The Wologisi ore would
necessitate upgrading, as was the case with ore mined by B.M.C
in the Bong Range. But as Wologisi, like Bong Mines, appears
likely to become a captive mine there seems to be no reason why
the Wologisi ore should not be exploitable for (industrial)
purposes by its owners. The investors have contemplated
constructing a railroad as well as transporting the ore by
slurry pipeline to the Port of Monrovia. Plans for developing a
harbour at Williamsport (between Monrovia and Grand Cape Mount
County's capital of Robertsport) have also been discussed but
the costs involved were considered prohibitive. A possibility
would have been to construct a railroad to the Nimba-Buchanan
railroad operated by LAMCO, a distance of less than 100 miles,
but the LAMCO Concession Agreement gave that Company the right
to refuse to transport or ship iron ore of others using its