Name of the Project
Kamativi lithium tailings project.

Location
The project is located outside the village of Kamativi, in the Matabeleland North province of Zimbabwe.

Client
Kamativi Tailings Company, a joint venture between the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (40%), the owners of Kamativi Tin Mines and Jimbata (60%).

Chimata Gold Corporation announced in February 2018 that it had entered into a binding letter of intent (LoI) with Zimbabwe Lithium Company (ZIM), a privately held company incorporated under the laws of Mauritius. In terms of the LoI, Chimata will subscribe to share capital of ZIM for an initial subscription of 19% of ZIM’s share capital in exchange for the allocation by Chimata of a number of  shares representing 19% of its then outstanding share capital to ZIM. 

Chimata has the right to further acquire the remaining issued and outstanding share capital of ZIM upon fulfilling certain terms and conditions set out in the LoI, resulting in ZIM’s becoming a subsidiary of Chimata.

On the positive outcome of a National Instrument (NI) 43-101 technical report, Chimata and ZIM will enter into a definitive agreement. 

This will enable Chimata, on completion of a mineral resources estimate undertaken in accordance with an NI 43-101 and the fulfilment of the requirements as set out in the LoI, to acquire 100 % equity ownership of ZIM. This would give Chimata ownership over ZIM’s equity interests. ZIM is a 100 % equity owner of Jimbata.

Project Description
The Kamativi project comprises the tailings dump derived from historical tin mining conducted within mining lease No 12 at the now disused Kamativi tin mine between 1936 and 1994.

Based on the testwork completed to date, a likely process flowsheet to produce a concentrate will include:

• hydromining of the deposit;
• classification of the material at 400 μm to 500 μm using screening equipment or cycloning;
• processing of the coarse material fraction in a dense-media separation (DMS) plant (DMS cyclones);
• cleaning of the DMS concentrate using wet high-intensity magnetic separation (WHIMS) technology;
• processing of the fine material fraction using flotation; and
• cleaning the flotation concentration using WHIMS technology.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Value
Not stated.

Duration
Not stated.

Latest Developments
Zimbabwe Lithium Company completed bulk testwork on tailings material from its Kamativi tailings project during the final quarter of 2018.

The testwork was completed with the help of South African national mineral research organisation Mintek.

The results of the testwork met the company’s expectations, with a sample of high-quality +6% lithium oxide concentrate.

Zimbabwe Lithium concluded a $9.5-million offtake finance facility term sheet with Transamine Trading – a Swiss commodity trader with operating experience in Zimbabwe – in December.

The company has said that this milestone will secure not only the full project financing for the Phase 1 DMS processing plant but also offtake for the first 150 000 t of lithium concentrate produced from the project.

Zimbabwe Lithium has appointed Green Resources Company to undertake an environmental-impact assessment (EIA) on the project. 

The company and Zimbabwean engineering firm MEPP aim to complete all aspects of the engineering DMS plant design criteria with MinMet – which oversaw the testwork along with Mintek, leading into the importation, erection and construction of the Phase 1 plant during the second and third quarters of the year.

Additionally, during the first quarter, Zimbabwe Lithium will start the refurbishment of existing buildings, the preparation of the plant and associated buildings and recondition the electrical, water and sewerage infrastructure at the Kamativi site.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
The MSA Group (NI 43-101 technical report); Green Resources Company (EIA); MEPP, MinMet and Mintek (DMS plant design criteria)

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Chimata Gold Corpororation, tel +1 604 674 3145.