Guinea Coast News

"In the early hours of Saturday 9th August, a product tanker transiting 200 nautical miles south of the Nigerian shoreline encountered a radar contact of a drifting vessel along its track. After taking normal navigational measures to open the closest point of approach (CPA) from the drifting vessel and passing abeam at 6.5 nautical miles, the tanker’s crew heard a burst of gunfire; first from their starboard quarter when 6 or 7 shots were fired and later from forward of the ship’s accommodation structure, but this time a burst of automatic fire. Although visibility was poor in the darkness and haze, one crew member reported seeing the outboard engine wakes of up to three small craft that engaged in a chase of the tanker, during the period of gunfire.

Bellzone Mining's joint venture Forecariah has sold a trans-shipping vessel for $8.9m (£5.8m). An in-depth analysis into the operational efficiency of the Forecariah operations showed that the ship was neither an operational requirement nor a material economic benefit, and thus there was no reason to keep it. Earlier this year, Bellzone and China International Fund Ltd (CIF) established a 50:50 joint venture (JV) with a commitment to fully fund accelerated exploration, and development of a mine and infrastructure of the Guinea Development Corporation Forécariah iron permits between 30km to 80km from the Guinea coast.