Name of the Project
Khemisset potash project.

Location
Northern Morocco.

Client
Emmerson PLC.

Project Description
A scoping study has confirmed Khemisset’s potential to be a low capital-cost and high-margin potash mine.

The study is based entirely on the Joint Ore Reservess Committee- (Jorc-) compliant inferred mineral resource estimate of 311-million tonnes at an average grade of 10.2% potassium oxide (K₂O) and delivers an initial mine life of 20 years.

Envisaged is the mine’s extracting about six-million tonnes of run-of-mine ore, with an average grade over the life-of-mine (LoM) of 9.35% K₂O.

Processing will be undertaken using a hot leaching and crystallisation process to extract and purify the potassium chloride in the ore into saleable grade K60 muriate of potash. Over the LoM, the process plant will deliver an average of about 800 000 t/y of K60 product for sale.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has an after-tax net present value, at a 10% discount rate, of $795-million and an internal rate of return of 29.8%, with a payback of 3.25 years.

Value
$405.9-million, including a $90.4-million contingency.

Duration
Not stated.

Latest Developments
The scoping study has given Emmerson the confidence to progress with its strategy to rapidly derisk the project and move it towards production. Work streams for 2019 include infill and exploration drilling to confirm and expand the mineral resources at the project, as well as upgrading the current Jorc-compliant inferred mineral resource estimate.

The company will also undertake a metallurgical testwork programme to confirm process flowsheets for a prefeasibility study, which will start thereafter.

Simultaneously, Emmerson will start environmental- and social-impact assessments and the mine permitting process.

Emmerson has said that it is fully funded to undertake development work until the first quarter of 2020.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Golder Associates (scoping study) and the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (design and estimates).

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Emmerson PLC, tel +44 207 236 1177.