Africa-focused miner and developer Marula Mining has appointed exploration and mining services company Geofields Tanzania to explore for copper at the Kinusi copper project, in Tanzania, starting in February.

Exploration at Kinusi will focus initially on the small-scale shallow copper mining activities, which have demonstrated potentially widespread high-grade copper mineralisation, and will also include over 30 additional surface exposures of copper mineralisation that were identified from previous work.

Previous samples taken by Marula from Kinusi reported copper grades of 7.28%, 19.12% and 31.32%.

Work to be undertaken by Geofields at Kinusi will include mapping, sampling, trenching and establishment of a comprehensive geological database that is expected to enable Marula to advance project development across the ten granted mining licences.

All samples from the planned exploration work will be sent for analysis in Tanzania, with initial results expected in the second quarter.

Marula secured a 49% commercial interest in the Kinusi project from local Tanzanian company Takela Mining Tanzania in ten granted copper mining licences located in the Mpwapwa district in the Dodoma region of central Tanzania.

Geofields also started exploring at Marula’s Bagamoyo graphite project earlier this month.

Marula’s board and management team will be on site with Takela and Geofields later in January, as well as in February, to review Geofields’ progress and activities.

Marula CEO Jason Brewer says the company is focused on continuing its growth with its portfolio of battery metals projects in Africa.

“Kicking off these initial activities at the Kinusi mine only reaffirms our belief in the potential to develop a low-cost copper mining operation with sales of copper concentrates to the international markets,” he adds.

Brewer says visits by teams from Marula towards the end of 2022, which included a detailed inspection of the small-scale mining areas, indicated potentially widespread copper mineralisation across the granted mining licences. “This has been a major driving force behind our reason to get Geofields onboard now to proceed with the next steps.”

“Geofields is a strategic service provider company to the Tanzanian exploration and mining industry, and they have already demonstrated with their approach to the work at our Bagamoyo graphite project how aligned they are to our strategy of fast-tracking exploration and development of projects in Tanzania,” he says.

Brewer notes that copper prices have risen beyond $9 000/t and that copper demand is expected to increase as the transition to renewables and electric vehicles accelerates.

“Copper is one of the major components in electric cars, used in the electric motor, batteries and wiring, as well as charging stations, and its attraction to investors as a key green metal will drive higher prices in the coming years.”