Both hematite and magnetite ore is processed appropriately before being sent to customers.

The hematite ore undergoes mechanical processing (crushing, screening and blending).

Primary and secondary crushing takes place at Zouerate, where SNIM has three plants: TO14, M’Haoudat and Rouessa. At this stage, the product’s grain gradation is reduced to 90mm before it is transported to Nouadhibou by train.

Tertiary and quaternary crushing, which takes place at the Nouadhibou plant, produces calibrated grains (6-30mm) and fines (0-6mm).

The magnetite ore is enriched at the Guelbs plant in Zouerate. Its iron content is thus increased from 37% (in raw mixture) to 66% (concentrate). Enrichment mainly takes place dry, using low-intensity magnetic separators.

Oxidized ores (upper layers of the deposit), meanwhile, are wet-processed using gravimetric separation. 

Before obtaining the concentrate, the ore’s grain gradation is reduced to 1.6mm through the primary crushing and grinding processes.