Name of the Project
Bougouni lithium project.

Location
The project is located in southern Mali.

Project Owner/s
Kodal Minerals. Singapore-based Suay Chin holds 29.02% in Kodal.

Project Description
The feasibility study proposes an openpit contract mining operation and conventional milling and flotation processing facility capable of treating two-million tonnes a year of ore, complete with asso­ciated infrastructure to mine and process about 16-million tonnes of pegmatite ore over an initial 8.5-year mine life.

Production will average 220 000 t/y of 6% spodu­mene concentrate.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has an estimated net present value, at a 7% discount rate, of $300-million and an after-tax internal rate of return of 51%, with a payback of 1.7 years.

Capital Expenditure
The project is estimated at $117-million.

Planned Start/End Date
Kodal aims to have the mine in production in the second half of 2021.

Latest Developments
Kodal has reported that the Bougouni  project is nearing fully permitted project status.

The company received correspondence on June 8 from Mali’s directorate of geology and mines Direction Nationale de la Geologie et des Mines (DNGM), confirming acceptance of the feasibility study for the project’s mining licence application.

Kodal has said it will pay the £135 000 application fee for the mining licence immediately, following which DNGM will draft an exploitation decree and forward it to the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water.

Thereafter, the exploitation decree will be forwarded to the office of the Prime Minister for formal signing, which is the final step in the permitting process.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Kodal Minerals, tel +44 20 3463 2260.