JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – ASX-listed Mount Burgess Mining said on Wednesday that its Kihabe base-metals project, in Botswana, had the potential to form the basis for an economically attractive business venture.

The Kihabe zinc/lead/silver project underwent a revised scoping study during the June quarter, which found that based on a potential mine throughput of 2,5-million tons a year, with a metal recovery of about 60%, and at then prices, the project would run at a loss.

However, since the compilation of that revised scoping study, metal prices have improved for zinc, lead and silver, showing an increase in prices of 55%, 79%, and 50% respectively.

Additionally, further recent metallurgical test work has been conducted, aimed at improving metal recoveries. The results showed that with a finer mill grade size and the use of controlled potential sulphidisation, lead recoveries increased to 91,9%, and zinc recoveries to 66,8%.

Mount Burgess said in a statement that zinc recoveries were expected to improve further to industry norms with the possible leaching of the tails. Further test work would be aimed at proving this concept.

On the successful completion of this testwork, the existing scoping study should be updated to incorporate the finer mill grind size, the controlled potential sulphidisation, and the possible leaching of the tails, as well as the alternative bacterial leaching, if this application is found to have merit.

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