JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Irish resources firm Kenmare’s performance improvement project at the Moma titanium minerals mine, in Mozambique, was 90% complete, and would be fully completed between July and August this year, the company said on Wednesday.

The performance improvement project was aimed at increasing production by removing certain limitations in the plant and equipment of the mine.

Production during May this year was recorded at 40 000 t of ilmenite and 2 300 t of zircon.

Kenmare said in a statement that this level of production meant that the company had more than crossed the cash operating cost breakeven point.

“As a consequence, the company will no longer be capitalising operating costs and from July 1, 2009, these costs will be reflected in the income statement.”

The $450-million Moma mine has been plagued by difficulties since Kenmare’s inception in April 2007, which included damage caused by a cyclone, and faulty equipment which reduced the feed rate through the mineralisation plant.

In January, the company stated that it aimed to reach full production around mid-year and that it expected to achieve annual production of about 800 000 t of ilmenite, 21 000 t of rutile, and 56 000 t of zircon.

Meanwhile, COO Jacob Deysel has been co-oped onto the board of directors.  Deysel was appointed as COO in February of this year, and is responsible for completing the ramp-up to full production at the Moma mine.

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