Name of the Project
Lindi Jumbo graphite project.

Location
South-east Tanzania.

Project Owner/s
Walkabout Resources.

Project Description
The Lindi Jumbo project has mineral ore reserves of 5.15-million tonnes grading 17.9% total graphitic carbon for 987 000 t of con­tained graphite.

The mine life has increased from 20 years in the 2017 definitive feasibility study (DFS) to 24 years in the enhanced DFS to produce 40 000 t/y of graphite.

Once commissioned, the Lindi Jumbo mine will officially be the first modern, large-scale graphite mine in Tanzania, as well as the first critical minerals asset in the country to go into full production.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The pretax net present value has increased from $302-million, at a 10% discount rate in the 2017 DFS, to $335-million in the enhanced DFS. The project’s pretax internal rate of return is estimated at 142% in the enhanced DFS, from 108% in the 2017 DFS. The payback period is less than two years.

Capital Expenditure
With the contracting of the power and camp scope changes, and the Lindi Jumbo plant construction nearing completion, the final estimated capital cost for the mine is $34.5-million, up from the $27.8-million estimated in the original DFS, Walkabout said on September 7, 2023.

The bulk of this cost was incurred in 2021.

Planned Start/End Date
The Lindi Jumbo project is preparing for operational readiness in early 2024.

Latest Developments
Despite persistent and substantial shipping delays, commissioning of the Lindi Jumbo project is progressing according to plan, Walkabout Resources MD and CEO Andrew Cunningham has said.

The company has experienced delays with freight discharge at Dar es Salaam, but the last of the essential mechanical and electrical equipment necessary to start wet commissioning of the entire processing circuit has been received on site.

Several smaller consignments are still to be delivered to site and are either en route or at outer anchorage in Dar es Salaam. These include the back-up generators and larger orders of consumables.

If further port delays ensue, Walkabout plans to use readily available mobile generating capacity to counter a grid power interruption and conduct an orderly plant shutdown. This will enable the project team to run and test the entire processing circuit with minimal risk.

In terms of the consumables, smaller orders have been placed with alternative African suppliers as a backup. These are being transported by road and are expected to arrive in advance of startup.

The project achieved the first feed of graphite ore through the crushing circuit in early January and is now gearing up to feed first ore through the entire mine processing circuit within the next month.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
TNR (bulk earthworks civil engineering works contract); Yantai Jinpeng Mining Machinery (EPC); and Axis Group International (EPC oversight).

Contact Details for Project Information
Walkabout Resources, tel +61 8 6298 7500 or email admin@wkt.com.au.