Western Australian iron ore company Sundance Resources has issued tender documents relating to the financing and construction of the port and rail infrastructure for the Mbalam-Nabeba project.
The Mbalam-Nabeba Project, which covers a total area of 1,740km², is located in Central West Africa.
Sundance Resources believes that that the planned rail and port infrastructure will support in the longer term regional production of up to 100 million tones per annum.
With its integrated rail and port infrastructure, the Mbalam-Nabeba project will become a regional mining production hub which can also explore value at other regional assets, company said.
The take-or-pay contracts and project equity agreements are expected to be concluded by 2013 end. Sundance Resources anticipates to bring Mbalam-Nabeba into production towards 2017 end.
Sundance managing director Giulio Casello said the tender process was a critical step in the development of the project.
"We are aiming to ensure that the Project is in production in time to capitalise on the supply shortfall which we believe is set to emerge in the global iron ore market around 2017-2018," Casello added.