JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – London-listed Kenmare Resources on Tuesday reported that construction activities at its Mozambique-based Moma titanium mine expansion project were nearing completion.

The Irish mining group expected the contractor to hand over the wet concentrator plant B and the new dredge within the next few weeks, allowing Kenmare to initiate final commissioning and enabling the processing of first ore and the start of production ramp-up.

This followed the month-long staged plant commissioning activities undertaken by the various facilities’ operations team.

The Moma expansion project was aimed at boosting the existing operation’s output by 50%.

Meanwhile, the group reported higher output during the first quarter of the year, with production during March accelerating, as the dredge pond transitioned from the low-lying Namalope Flats zone, onto the raised dunal plateau, which would be mined over the next few years.

The group produced 189 800 t of heavy mineral concentrate during the three-month period under review, up 20.9% from the 188 000 t and the 157 000 t recorded during the first and fourth quarter respectively of the prior year. The group ramped up production from 51 400 t and 52 300 t in January and February respectively, to 86 100 t in March.

Primary grade zircon production decreased to 10 400 t in the first quarter, from the 2012 first- and fourth-quarter output of 10 600 t and 10 700 t respectively. However, secondary grade zircon output rose 4% from 4 500 t in the fourth quarter, to 4 700 t in the first three months of the 2013 financial year.

Ilmenite production rose 11.2% from 123 600 t during the fourth quarter, to 137 500 t during the quarter under review. Output more than doubled from the 31 800 t produced during the month of January, to 66 400 t in March. Just over 132 000 t of ilmenite was produced during the corresponding quarter the year before.

Low levels of stocks at year-end and subdued market demand depressed the amount of ilmenite shipped to 48 500 t during the first quarter of 2013, compared with the 201 400 t shipped during the immediately preceding fourth quarter.

However, Kenmare commented that shipments picked up in the second quarter of this year, with six scheduled for April and five for May.

“The markets for titanium feedstock and zircon remain subdued, but signs of improvement in volume demand in both markets are becoming evident, as demonstrated by increased shipping activity,” the company concluded.