Name of the Project
Lindi Jumbo graphite project.

Location
South-east Tanzania.

Project Owner/s
Walkabout Resources.

Project Description
The Lindi Jumbo project has mineral ore reserves of 5.15-million tonnes grading 17.9% total graphitic carbon for 987 000 t of con­tained graphite.

The mine life has increased from 20 years in the 2017 definitive feasibility study (DFS) to 24 years in the enhanced DFS to produce 40 000 t/y of graphite.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The pretax net present value has increased from $302-million, at a 10% discount rate in the 2017 DFS, to $335-million in the enhanced DFS. The project’s pretax internal rate of return is estimated at 142% in the enhanced DFS, from 108% in the 2017 DFS. The payback period is less than two years.

Capital Expenditure
With the contracting of the power and camp scope changes, and the Lindi Jumbo plant construction nearing completion, the final estimated capital cost for the mine is $34.5-million, up from the $27.8-million estimated in the original DFS, Walkabout said on September 7, 2023.

The bulk of this cost was incurred in 2021.

Planned Start/End Date
The construction schedule has not been modified in the enhanced DFS, as commissioning can be achieved 9 to 12 months after project-start funding has been received.

Latest Developments
Walkabout Resources has reported that civil works at the project are more than 97% complete, while construction of the tailings storage facility is 90% complete.

The current construction schedule has the connection to the power supply on the Lindi Jumbo critical path. Although grid power has been delivered to site and yet to be energised, the delivery to site of the contracted 33 kV transformer is not expected until November.

To mitigate potential commissioning delays and reduce future operating risk, Lindi Jumbo reverted to acquiring diesel generators for full backup power.

These generators were expected to arrive on site in October 2023 and will be critical for the timely commissioning and startup of the processing plant while the transformer is being installed. The cost of this risk mitigation and redundancy will add nearly $1-million to the project cost and is factored into the sizing of the senior debt facility, the company has said.

The project will produce 40 000 t/y of graphite over a mine life of 24 years. The company hopes to reach commissioning by the end of this year, Cunningham has said.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
TNR (bulk earthworks civil engineering works contract); Yantai Jinpeng Mining Machinery (engineering, procurement and construction, or EPC); and Axis Group International (EPC oversight).

Contact Details for Project Information
Walkabout Resources, tel +61 8 6298 7500 or email admin@wkt.com.au.