Tonkolili Iron Ore Mine is located in the extremely remote, mountainous highlands of Sierra Leone. At the peak of the Mining Services Contract, BCM was mining and railing in excess of 12 million tonnes per annum for its client, African Minerals, at the time a publicly listed company on the London Stock Exchange.
BCM mobilized to Tonkolili in 2011 and remained continuously on site for 13 years, operating through successive contract renewals and multiple changes in project ownership. This longevity on such a challenging operation is a testament to BCM’s performance, resilience, and its ability to consistently deliver under difficult conditions.
Contract
The initial Mining Services Contract was valued at approximately US$900 million. As a direct result of BCM’s strong execution and operational reliability, several additional contracts were subsequently awarded and successfully completed. These included US$29 million for ore rehandling and train loading, US$53 million for satellite pit mining, and US$7 million for major haul road construction.
Scope
The scope of work at Tonkolili represented a fully integrated, end to end mining services operation. BCM was responsible for drill and blast, load and haul, feeding multiple crushers, stockyard management, train load out, rail operations, and port loading—managing every critical interface from pit to port.
Plant
BCM’s deployed fleet reflected the scale and intensity of the operation:
- 6 x 300 tonne class hydraulic shovels
- 70 x CAT 777 off-highway haul trucks
- 12 x 100 tonne class front end loaders
At peak production, BCM was moving in excess of 2 million bank cubic meters per month, maintaining high availability and productivity in what were routinely some of the most difficult operating conditions encountered in the region.
Logistics
Tonkolili was one of BCM’s most logistically demanding mining projects. Located within a remote, densely forested mountain range with limited infrastructure, the project required extensive planning and innovative logistics solutions to mobilize heavy mining equipment to site. Operations were further challenged by severe wet-season conditions, difficult terrain, and a complex international supply chain that had to be managed while maintaining production targets and equipment availability.
Key Logistics Facts
- Estimated Distance: 300 km
- Transit Time: 4–6 days (depending on terrain and weather)
Key Challenges
- Poor road infrastructure
- River crossings
- Oversized heavy equipment loads
- Weather impacts during the rainy season
Required Support
- Escort vehicles and route clearance
- Engineering support for river crossings
- Safety supervision and compliance management
Performance
Despite these challenges, BCM successfully established and sustained a world class mining operation. Through strong leadership, disciplined planning, robust maintenance systems, and adaptive operational strategies, BCM consistently overcame environmental, logistical, and supply chain constraints. The sustained performance at Tonkolili ultimately enabled BCM not only to meet contractual obligations but to expand its scope of work and remain the contractor of choice on the project for over a decade.
Performance, Service, Quality
Tonkolili stands as a clear demonstration of BCM’s capability to deliver large scale, high intensity mining services in some of the most remote and demanding environments globally and to turn complexity into long term operational success.