I spoke to Jill again yesterday. Jill did not seem to know what I was talking about when I asked about squids, "sunset clause". Jill made it clear that we can't say ,it could never happen about losing the tenement's. The chance of losing the tenements is not an option as far as Jill is concerned because of every thing that is going on with the talks for funding of the projects. The closeness of The Cameroon and Congo Governments with SDL, what would be involved for anyone to have to come in and start all over again from scratch. That would put the start up back years.
How the Governments would be looked on by others for taking the tenements off SDL when it is so close to brokering deals this time around.
Another thought just struck me. What if Cameroon did look to take the tenement off of SDL? If the Congo Government decided to stay with SDL and team up with Gabon and use Gabon to get to port. We would then be looking at NO High grade DSO or high volumes of Itabirite to be put on a rail line to port in Cameroon for many years. IMIC would have to look to fund the whole Rail and Port if they wanted to ship iron ore from the Nkout tenement. They do not have anywhere near enough DSO to even consider it.
Gabon would have iron ore going to a port in Gabon from, SDL in The Congo, Core Mining, Equatorial and Belinga. Around 150Mtpa through Gabon.
Cameroon need SDL to be able to get started as soon as possible, not wait for a further 3 or 4 years on top of the 3+ years it would take SDL from mid 2014. Are Cameroon likely to take the tenements away if every bit of funding is not signed off by May 2014. In my opinion NO.
Cameroon need these projects to start up as soon as possible now that Kribi is close to being opened. They are relying on the Mbalam project to keep Kribi busy bringing in supply's for the Rail Line, the Lolabe Port, the new gas plants, the Hydro plants.
If Douala Port has been handling most of the imports and exports up to now, what is there likely to need going through Kribi if the SDL Mbalam/Nabeba projects are going to take another 6 or 7 years?
Keep with SDL, even if it is a couple of months over the May so called "sunset clause". Kribi will then be kept busy handling all materials needed for the Mines, Rail and Port. Local workers would be employed, local materials would be used to build the Rail and Port in months, not years.
Just my opinion.
Regards Westcott.
SDL Price at posting:
9.0¢ Sentiment: None Disclosure: Held
