OPEN-CAST MINING; ORE LOADED ONTO TRAIN; ORE BEING TRANSPORTED.


1.
GV MOUNTAINS (2 SHOTS)
0.08

2.
CU ENGINEER TALKS INTO MICROPHONE.
0.14

3.
GV EXPLOSION.
0.22

4.
SV LORRIES MOVE OFF (2 SHOTS)
0.29

5.
TRAVEL SHOT LORRY TOWARDS OPEN-CAST MINE (2 SHOTS)
0.35

6.
LV ORE SCOOPED INTO LORRIES (2 SHOTS)
0.44

7.
SV DITTO (3 SHOTS)
0.50

8.
GV MECHANICAL SCOOP OPERATING
0.55

9.
GV ORE-CRUSHING PLANT.
1.01

10.
GV INT TECHNICIAN AT CONSOLE CONTROLS.
1.04

11.
GV & CU TURBINES (2 SHOTS)
1.10

12.
SV ORE ON CONVEYOR BELTS (2 SHOTS)
1.19

13.
GV & SV ORE TIPPED INTO RAILWAY TRUCKS (2 SHOTS)
1.27

14.
CU TRAIN DRIVER.
1.30

15.
SV TRAIN IN MOTION (4 SHOTS)
1.46

16.
GV ZOOM OUT TRAIN CROSSING DESERT.
2.02



Initials PW/VS/MR/BB



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: ONE OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST DEPOSITS OF IRON ORE IS BEING MINED AT THE RATE OF SIX MILLION TONS OF ORE A YEAR IN THE REPUBLIC OF MAURETANIA. THE IRON ORE -- LITERALLY A MOUNTAIN -- IS AT KEDIA D'IDJIL.

THE MASSIVE IRON ORE DEPOSITS AT MOUNT KEDIA D'IDJIL WERE FIRST DISCOVERED ABOUT SEVENTY YEARS AGO. BUT AT THAT TIME, THE DIFFICULTIES OF MINING IT WERE TOO GREAT. NOW, WITH THE PROVISION OF SPECIALLY BUILT RAILWAYS AND THE INSTALLATION OF CRUSHING PLANTS AND OTHER MINING EQUIPMENT, MAURETANIA IS MOVING TONS ANNUALLY.

IT IS ESTIMATED THAT KEDIA D'IDJIL, A 20-MILE CREST RUNNING INTO THE SAHARA, HOLDS SOME 125 MILLION TONS OF IRON ORE.

TO SHIP THE HUGE QUANTITIES OF ORE DUG FROM THE RED EARTH OF KEDIA D'IDJIL, A 400-MILE RAILWAY TO PORT-ETIENNE ON THE MAURETANIAN COAST HAS BEEN BUILT.

THE IRON ORE MOUNTAIN IS THE PRINCIPAL SOURCE OF MAURETANIA'S MINERAL WEALTH. IT IS BEING MINED BY AN INTERNATIONAL COMPANY COMPOSED ON BRITISH, FRENCH, ITALIAN AND GERMAN INTERESTS.