Name of the Project
Dougou Extension (DX) potash solution mining project.

Location
Congo-Brazzaville.

Project Owner/s
Kore Potash.

Project Description
The DX sylvinite deposit is part of Kore Potash’s Sintoukola potash project, which includes Kore’s Kola sylvinite deposit. The project has ore reserves of 17.7-million tonnes of sylvinite grading 41.7% potassium chloride and mineral resources of 145-million tonnes grading 39.7% potassium chloride.

The prefeasibility study has confirmed a low tech­nical-risk operation using single-well selective solution mining – an efficient potash extraction method used at multiple potash operations globally.

The development of the DX project is expected to create a low-cost potash operation, which aims to produce an estimated 393 000 t/y of K60 muriate of potash over an initial 18.4-year mine life, based on the project’s reserves.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has an attributable after-tax real ungeared net present value, at a 10% discount rate, of $319-million and an internal rate of return of 22.9%, with a payback of 4.3 years from first production.

Capital Expenditure
The project has a preproduction capital cost of $285.9-million, including contingency.

Planned Start/End Date
The project has a construction period of only 21 months.

Latest Developments
Kore Potash has assured the Minister of Mines of Congo-Brazzaville of the progress being made at its DX and Kola projects.

This follows after the company received correspondence from the Minister, expressing his disappointment at the speed of progress on the development of projects in the Sintoukola basin.

Kore reported in December 2020 that the definitive feasibility study for Phase 1 of the DX project remained on track to be completed in May 2021.

The DX project has been chosen as the starter project for the Kola project.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
Innovare Technologies (solution mining, process and drilling consultants); Agapito Associates Inc (mine designers and competent persons for the mineral resource and ore reserve estimation); Engcomp (engineering services consultant); Change Energy Services (natural gas virtual pipeline consultant); and PRDW (port and coastal consulting engineers).

Contact Details for Project Information
Kore Potash, email info@korepotash.com.