Name of the Project
Gakara rare earths project.
Location
The Gakara mining licence is located within the north-eastern Kibaran belt, in the Bujumbura province of western Burundi.
Client
Rainbow Rare Earths has a 90% interest in the Gakara project, with a nondilutable 10% owned by the Burundi government.
Project Description
Gakara is one of the highest-grade – 47% to 67% total rare-earth oxide (TREO) – rare earths projects globally.
The project hosts a deposit with a very high run-of-mine grade of 54.3% on average TREO for 141 853 t of contained TREO, with high-quality and well understood mineralogy.
The high grade of the vein material is expected to enable Rainbow to pursue a low-risk processing route. Owing to the minimal level of processing required, complex and expensive processing facilities and the use of hazardous chemicals will not be required.
Rainbow is fast-tracking the project into production and will produce a high-grade concentrate using simple mining.
Potential Job Creation
Not stated.
Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.
Value
Not stated.
Duration
First sales of concentrate are expected by the end of 2017.
Latest Developments
Rainbow Rare Earths has started mining ore from the Gasagwe pit at its Gakara rare earth project.
At the Gasagwe site, the company has focused on prestripping work since April, which has exposed the main vein to a depth of about 3 m to 5 m along 90 m of strike, with several other subsidiary veins that are connected or adjacent.
Following completion of the construction of the run-of-mine (RoM) bunkers at the Kabezi plant site, Rainbow has started extraction of RoM ore and will stockpile the feedstock in advance of plant commissioning within the next six to eight weeks.
Rainbow has completed bulk earthworks at the Kabezi plant site and has made timely progress with the necessary civils construction in preparation for the erection of the processing plant, albeit with some temporary delays caused by local shortages of cement and aggregate.
The company has already imported more than half of the planned container shipments of plant and machinery, with the balance due to arrive during September and October.
Rainbow will sell the rare-earth concentrate in partnership with Thyssenkrupp Raw Materials.
Both companies are confident that there is strong demand for all Rainbow’s planned near-term production, which is to achieve 5 000 t/y of rare-earth concentrate before the end of 2018.
Further, prices for rare-earth elements have increased rapidly in recent months, with Rainbow’s basket price having increased to more than $18/kg by September 18, an 80% increase on the basket price since the company’s initial public offering on January 30.
Key Contracts and Suppliers
Obsideo Consulting (EPCM).
On Budget and on Time?
The project is firmly on track to deliver its first shipment of concentrate from the mine in the fourth quarter of this year.
Contact Details for Project Information
Rainbow Rare Earths, email info@rainbowrareearths.com.