Overview
Iron ore deposits have been identified at Kassala-Kitungo and at Cassinga, however, production at Cassinga ceased as a result of low world prices and the destruction of the railway to the coast (Benguela port) during the civil war. The state iron ore company, Ferrangol, was established in 1981 to oversee government plans for the rehabilitation of the Cassinga mine. Rehabilitation work was largely completed by 1986, but mining did not resume pending rehabilitation of transportation systems. The deposits at Kassala-Kitungo are estimated to contain 100 million tons of low to medium grade (35 – 40% Fe) iron ore. Japanese investors have shown interest in the development of a direct reduced iron plant using Cassinga ore as a main stock feed.