Aim-listed AfriTin Mining looks forward to achieving its target of processing the first material through the pilot plant at its Uis mine, in Namibia, by the end of this year, after having achieved a number of important milestones in the six-month period ended August 31.

Construction of the pilot plant has progressed well and should be concluded in the next six months, while verification drilling and a Joint Ore Reserves Committee- (Jorc-) compliant resource at the mine are expected to be completed by early 2019.

Once AfriTin has started to produce tin concentrate from the pilot plant, it is anticipated that it will continue to expand its footprint in the region through acquisitions and conducting further work on the other mining licence areas that form part of the AfriTin portfolio, which comprises tin assets in Namibia and South Africa.

The first step in the development of the project involved verification, through local and regional geological mapping, which was then translated into a preliminary mine design plan for the first phase of the pilot production plant.

A key result of the mapping programme, the company said last week, was the delineation of more than 80 new pegmatite bodies, which all displayed visible tin mineralisation, and boded well for future exploration initiatives.

The purpose of Phase 1 was to provide early cash flow for AfriTin and to provide a platform to transition the project into a bankable feasibility study (BFS) and, ultimately, a Phase 2 plant capable of producing 5 000 t/y of tin concentrate.

As a result of the accelerated development of the flagship project, the board of directors was confident it could riase a further £6-million to advance the construction of the plant, and initiate work on the BFS to undertake a drilling programme to bring the historical resources into Jorc compliance.

Construction of the Phase 1 plant has progressed well with the appointment of local contractors, construction is on schedule and the first run-of-mine material to the plant is expected by year-end.

The results from the regional mapping programme have also assisted AfriTin in identifying further licence areas of interest and acquisition.