Will
Tambao's promising manganese deposit finally be mined? Its 20 million tons of reserves with a grading of between 52 and 53% make it potentially a world-class mine. After a false start by
InterStar Mining, which worked
Tambao for six months in 1993 and an abortive project by the
Fompex consortium in 2004, several mining companies are now fighting for exclusive rights over the property. But there's one vital condition for anybody intent on winning it: a commitment to build a 210 km-long railway between
Tambao and Kaya.