Gabon is the second-biggest manganese producer in the world and mined an estimated 4.6 million metric tons of the metal in 2022, according to U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data.Total mineral production reached 9.5 million tons in 2021, up 12 percent from 2020. Gabon’s government holds nearly a third of Compagnie Minière de l’Ogooue (COMILOG), a subsidiary of the French multinational mining company Eramet, that operates the country’s manganese mines. In June 2015, COMILOG inaugurated a factory for domestic production of value-added manganese products.  Firms have also obtained prospecting/exploration licenses for iron ore, copper, gold, diamonds, and other minerals.  For example, Australian company Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) signed a mining convention with the Gabonese Republic for its Belinga iron-ore deposit project, believed to be among the largest iron ore deposits in the world, in February 2023.  The agreement predicts a $200 million investment for 2023-2024.