An important milestone for the nation’s technical sector was reached when a Liberian mineral processing engineer represented ArcelorMittal Liberia on one of the most prominent international platforms for the mining industry.
In February 2026, Darius G. Wonyen, a mineralogist and mineral processing engineer with ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML), went to Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, to take part in the MINEXCHANGE 2026 SME Annual Conference & Expo.
In his scientific paper “Iron Ore Geometallurgy to Guide Strategic Decisions,” which he presented on the last day of the conference, Wonyen explored how mineralogy, hardness, and textural features impact processing results and offered a fresh perspective on ore variability.
The presentation is a key component of AML’s larger geometallurgy program, which is a cooperative effort including the company’s local exploration geology teams, Corporate Technical, and Corporate Research and Development teams. The program was created to fill a historical gap in the original concentrator design, which at the time of construction lacked complete geometallurgical characterization.
“For me, this was more than a presentation. It was an opportunity to showcase Liberia’s growing technical footprint and AML’s commitment to scientific rigor and leadership,” Wonyen said.
AML is using internationally validated methodologies to improve its operational performance by aligning its approach with Global Mining Guidelines Group best practices. These methodologies include improvements to hardness classification, mass recovery predictions, ore blending models, and classification efficiency. In order to improve throughput reliability, the organization has also been collaborating with partners like Derrick Corporation.
Beyond the technical aspects, Wonyen’s participation in SME 2026 demonstrates AML’s dedication to developing local technical leadership skills and establishing the foundation for sustained national mineral processing capability.
The management of AML and international partners, such as Marcello Rodrigues Cruz and Henrique Dias Gatti Turrer, helped make the presentation a success.
