Name of the Project
Kasiya rutile project.

Location
Malawi.

Project Owner/s
Sovereign Metals.

Project Description
Kasiya is the biggest undeveloped rutile deposit in the world. Total mineral resources are estimated at 605-million tonnes grading 0.98% rutile and 1.24% total graphitic carbon.

The initial scoping study on the project has developed the concept for a multidecade mine providing a consistent supply of a highly sought-after rutile and graphite while contributing to Malawi’s economy. The proposed large-scale operation will process soft, friable mineralisation mined from surface and will primarily use conventional hydromining to produce a slurry that will be pumped to a wet concentration plant where the material will be sized.

A heavy mineral concentrate will be produced by processing the sand fraction through a series of gravity spirals, after which it will be transferred to the dry-minerals separation plant, where premium-quality rutile will be produced using electrostatic and magnetic separation. Graphite-rich concentrate will be collected from the gravity spirals and processed in a separate graphite flotation plant, producing a coarse-flake graphite product.

The mine will have a throughput of 12-million tonnes a year over a 25-year mine life, producing 122 000 t/y of rutile and 80 000 t/y of graphite.

The rutile and graphite products will be trucked a short distance using existing bitumen roads to the Kanengo rail terminal, from where they will be railed through the Nacala logistics corridor to the deep-water port of Nacala, on the eastern seaboard of Mozambique.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has an after-tax net present value, at an 8% discount rate, of $861-million and an internal rate of return of 36%, with a payback of 2.5 years.

Capital Expenditure
$332-million.

Planned Start/End Date
Not stated.

Latest Developments
Sovereign Metals has taken what it deems proactive steps to establish an environment, social and governance (ESG) framework that will position it as an industry leader on corporate social responsibility in Malawi, where it is developing the Kasiya rutile project.

The company has identified four schools in the neighbouring community of Kasiya, under the Sovereign Schools Upgrade Programme, which will significantly benefit from access to additional learning materials and upgrades to their learning environments.

The company has also established a scholarship programme, which will support high school learners in reaching their full potential. An initial eight students have entered the programme.

Sovereign regularly provides internships for students from the University of Malawi, and has accepted 12 students to assist in an upcoming drill programme, with six geology and six engineering students gaining experience and exposure to the industry.

The company also frequently assists the local community through infrastructure builds, including a new community centre and water bore, across the company’s licence area to provide communities with drinking water.  

Sovereign is completing an updated scoping study on the project in the next few weeks.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
DRA (lead study manager); Jem-Met (project management); Placer Consulting (mineral resource estimate); Oreology Mine Consulting (mine scheduling and pit optimisation); Fraser Alexander (mining methods and tailings management); Epoch Resources (tailing disposal); AML (metallurgy – rutile); SGS (metallurgy – graphite); Dhamana Consulting (environment and social studies); JCM Power (power); TZMI (marketing – rutile); Fastmarkets (marketing – graphite); Morgan Sterling Consultants (logistics); and Minviro (life-cycle assessments).

Contact Details for Project Information
Sovereign Metals, tel +61 8 9322 6322 or email info@sovereignmetals.com.au.