Aim-listed Keras Resources has been granted permission to undertake a $1.5-million bulk sampling metallurgical testwork programme at its Nayega manganese project, in northern Togo.
The company on Monday said this included the processing of 10 000 t of beneficiated manganese ore by a major producer of manganese-based alloys, for large-scale metallurgical testwork, to assess the suitability of the ore in the manganese producer’s smelting facilities.
“We have secured a funding agreement with a third-party end-user that potentially may share significant synergies with a West African manganese producer.
“We believe this is a huge endorsement for both the project and our team's ability to identify quality assets and we look forward to working closely with the end-user through the metallurgical testwork process,” Keras CEO Russell Lamming said in a statement.
The company has completed the tender process with local mining contractors and logistics companies who have capacity to start the operation immediately, and will award contracts in late July.
Keras is targeting a beneficiated +10mm to -75mm manganese product from a simplified washing, scrubbing and screening operation.
This will provide real-time data with respect to the operating costs and logistics of exporting beneficiated manganese to third-party end-users.