Utah USA – A Liberian mineral processing engineer has represented ArcelorMittal Liberia on one of the mining industry’s most prestigious international platforms, marking a significant milestone for the country’s technical sector.
Darius G. Wonyen, a mineralogist and mineral processing engineer with ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML), traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah, USA to participate in the MINEXCHANGE 2026 SME Annual Conference & Expo, in February 2026. The annual gathering draws leading innovators and thought leaders from across the global mining and mineral processing industry.
In his scholarly article “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 forms a central part of AML’s broader geometallurgy program, a collaborative initiative spanning the company’s Corporate Research and Development, Corporate Technical, and local exploration geology teams. The program was developed to address a historical gap in the original concentrator design, which lacked full geometallurgical characterization at the time of its construction.
“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.
It is reported that 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 AML 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 successful presentation was made possible through the support of AML’s management and contributions from global partners including Marcello Rodrigues Cruz and Henrique Dias Gatti Turrer, among others.
