Hassi Abyad Kaolin Project · Mauritania

High-alumina kaolin for the Atlantic and Mediterranean markets

SMB Mining is developing a 24 km² kaolin licence in southern Mauritania, with an 80-million-tonne historical resource and direct road access to the Port of Nouakchott. Founding offtakers can reserve volume now at locked-in prices.

80 Mthistorical kaolin estimate (BGR/ANARPAM)
31.7%mean Al₂O₃ across 613 samples
24 km²licence area — only ~5 km² drilled to date
<1 : 1strip ratio — overburden ≤ 1 m, no blasting
610 kmpaved road to the Port of Nouakchott
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Products

Two export grades, priced FOB Nouakchott

Processed on site from a shallow, blast-free open pit and trucked on paved road to the Atlantic port — within reach of European, Mediterranean and West African buyers.

$525 /t reference

Calcined kaolin

Heat-treated for brightness, opacity and electrical resistance.

  • Paints & coatings (TiO₂ extender)
  • Plastics, rubber and cable insulation
  • Paper filling, ceramics, metakaolin for cement
$350 /t reference

Water-washed kaolin

Wet-processed and classified for consistent particle size and low grit.

  • Ceramics, tiles and sanitaryware
  • Paper filler and coating
  • Fiberglass, rubber and general fillers
Founding Offtaker programme

Reserve before launch. Lock your price for years.

Pre-launch buyers earn volume, contract-term and founding discounts, and a price locked for a fixed period after first delivery. Reservations are non-binding until an LOI is signed.

Get your indicative price
Market

Kaolin market reference

Kaolin is not exchange-traded, so we publish transparent, sourced monthly references rather than a daily ticker.

Water-Washed Kaolin — SMB reference price
$350/t
FOB Port of Nouakchott · export market band $250–$450
Calcined Kaolin — SMB reference price
$525/t
FOB Port of Nouakchott · export market band $350–$700
EU kaolin import unit value (all grades)
$312/t
12-month average · ▲ 10.2% vs prior 12 months
EU kaolin imports from outside the EU
1,061k t
last 12 months · latest month 2026-07

Kaolin price trend (US$/tonne)

EU import unit value from non-EU suppliers, monthly, with 12-month moving average — against SMB reference prices.

EU import volumes (tonnes/month)

US producer price index — kaolin & clay mining

Sources & methodology
  • SMB reference prices: Hassi Abyad project financial models, FOB Port of Nouakchott. Market bands reflect published export-market ranges per grade.
  • EU import unit value: Eurostat Comext dataset DS-045409, EU27 imports from extra-EU partners, CN 2507 00 20 (kaolin, whether or not calcined); value ÷ net mass, converted at the ECB monthly USD/EUR reference rate. © European Union, reused under CC BY 4.0. Data retrieved 2026-10-11.
  • US PPI: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Producer Price Index by Industry: Kaolin, Clay, and Ceramic and Refractory Minerals Mining (PCU212323212323), via FRED. Index, Dec 2022 = 100.
  • Kaolin is not exchange-traded; there is no daily world benchmark. Figures are monthly market references, not offers.
Newsroom

Trending in kaolin & mining

Headlines link to the original publishers. Automatically updated; SMB Mining is not responsible for third-party content.

Lenders

Senior project finance

Bank case at 65–70% gearing, secured on the licence, plant and offtake receivables.

Investors

Equity & private debt

A stake in SMB Mining AG, the Swiss holding company for the ring-fenced kaolin project.

Transparency

Verifiable offtake book

Registered investors see every reservation by contract stage, with document fingerprints and model benchmarks.

Investor relations Investor dashboard