(Business in Cameroon) – Australian mining company Lion Rock Minerals has begun a large-scale drilling program on its Minta Est exploration license in Cameroon’s Centre region. Documents seen by Business in Cameroon indicate that more than 1,000 drill holes are planned across an initial 250-square-kilometer area.
The program targets a suite of high-value minerals including rutile, zircon, monazite and xenotime, the latter two being rich in strategic rare earth elements.
According to the company, recent fieldwork confirmed alluvial soils heavily enriched in monazite, with very high grades reaching 74 percent, along with notable xenotime concentrations in several nearby streams. Using thorium radiometric analysis, Lion Rock identified a monazite-rich granite source rock, which now guides its drilling strategy.
“Minta Est is shaping up to be a highly prospective rutile and rare earths target, with significant concentrations of heavy rare earth elements such as dysprosium (Dy) and terbium (Tb), and elevated samarium (Sm) across the 250-square-kilometer area,” said Casper Adson, managing director of Lion Rock Minerals.
Tronox Provides Exploration Funding
The ramp-up in activity follows the entry of Tronox Holdings plc, a global player in titanium and industrial minerals, into the project. “Thanks to our strategic partnership with Tronox, Lion Rock is fully funded for this exploration phase and well positioned to continue making major discoveries within the Minta Project,” Adson said.
On Oct. 15, 2025, Lion Rock announced it had raised A$8.6 million ($3.3 million) through a private placement to Tronox. The transaction will result in the issuance of more than 153 million shares, giving the U.S. group a 5 percent equity stake in the company.
Minta Est is emerging as one of Cameroon’s most promising mineral projects at a time when the country is seeking to attract more investment in critical minerals, a fast-growing segment globally. Its potential in heavy rare earths (Dy, Tb, Sm) and high-value industrial minerals positions the site as a strategic asset for diversifying Cameroon’s mining sector.
Amina Malloum
