Name of the Project
Uis Phase 2 expansion project.

Location
Namibia.

Project Owner/s
AfriTin Mining.

Project Description
The historical Uis mine was owned and operated by Iscor from 1958 and to1991 as a tin mine.

The Uis project comprises a total non-Joint Ore Reserves Committee-compliant mining reserve (provided for guidance purposes only) of 134-million tonnes of ore, which could result in a mine life of 14 years. The mining plan features a production rate of ten-million tonnes a year of run-of-mine (RoM) ore at an average overburden stripping ratio of 2.6.

AfriTin has set out to re-establish the Uis operation in two phases. Phase 1 is a low-capital, cash-generating initial production facility serving as a pilot for Phase 2, which is planned as a scaled-up version of the initial phase. The beneficiation process may involve dry crushing of the RoM ore and sensor-based ore sorting once confirmed through testwork.

The preconcentrates from this process could then be treated through various wet concentration circuits to produce saleable concentrates. The tin and tantalum minerals could be preconcentrated using X-ray transmission ore sorting and concentrated through dense-media separation (DMS), gravity separation and magnetic separation. The lithium mineral petalite could be preconcentrated using near-infrared ore sorting, concentrated using DMS, and cleaned using milling and flotation.

Mining will comprise conventional openpit methods using low-carbon, truck-and-excavator combinations, and is planned to be conducted over multiple pegmatite orebodies from four to five pits concurrently. A zero-effluent plant is planned to include dewatering systems for all concentrate and discard streams to aim for maximum water conservation and eliminate the need for tailings dams.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has an after-tax net present value, at an 8% discount rate, of $2.1-billion and an internal rate of return of 75%, with a payback of 1.5 years.

Capital Expenditure
Initial capital expenditure is estimated at $440-million, including a 30% contingency.

Planned Start/End Date
Not stated.

Latest Developments
AfriTin’s lithium product development programme has progressed on three fronts – updating the mineral resource estimate, starting lithium pilot-scale metallurgical testing and taking the first steps to explore commercial engagements for lithium petalite concentrate offtake.

The objective of the programme is to demonstrate the potential commercial viability of a lithium petalite concentrate co-product from the Uis mine and provide samples for potential offtake partners while derisking the development of a commercial-scale processing plant for lithium.

The programme also includes the implementation of a full-scale tantalum separation circuit to produce a tantalum concentrate by-product from the tantalum contained in the existing tin concentrate product.

Lithium laboratory testwork has produced a high-grade, ultralow iron lithium petalite concentrate at 4.34% lithium oxide, and low contaminants levels of 0.03% iron oxide and 0.93% alkalis.

Testwork to convert lithium petalite concentrate to battery-grade lithium hydroxide has been initiated with Australian mineral processing company Nagrom, as well as commercial engagements with lithium petalite concentrate offtakers.

The infill exploration drilling programme for lithium and tantalum over V1/V2 orebody is now complete.

Tantalum laboratory testwork produced a saleable 24% tantalum oxide concentrate.

Larger, pilot-scale lithium metallurgical testing, which will also produce samples for potential offtakers, has started, with first results expected in the first quarter of 2023.

First results from laboratory metallurgical testwork with Nagrom to produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide are expected in the third quarter.

A lithium pilot plant, intended for processing bulk ore samples at Uis, is progressing to construction phase, with long-lead items ordered. Construction is scheduled to be completed in the second quarter of 2023.

An updated lithium and tantalum mineral resource estimate for lithium and tantalum is expected in the first quarter of 2023 following final infill drilling results.

A full-scale, integrated tantalum separation circuit is progressing to construction phase, with long-lead items ordered and construction scheduled to be completed in the second quarter. First production of tantalum concentrate is expected by the third quarter of 2023.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
AfriTin Mining, email info@afritinmining.com.
Tavistock, on behalf of Afritin Mining, tel +44 (0) 207 920 3150 or email afritin@tavistock.co.uk.