https://www.miningweekly.com

Kwale mine, Kenya

15th November 2019

By: Sheila Barradas

Creamer Media Research Coordinator & Senior Deputy Editor

     

Font size: - +

Name: Kwale mine.

Location: The mine is located within the Kwale prospecting licence PL/2018/0119 area of 88 km2 and is located about 50 km south of Mombasa, Kenya.

Mine Owner/s: Base Titanium, a wholly owned subsidiary of Base Resources.

Brief Description: The Kwale resource comprises the Central and South dunes, which contain economically viable concentrations of heavy minerals that are separated by the Mukurumudzi river. A third dune, the North dune is not currently included in the project.

The project is based on a 13-year life-of-mine.

Brief History: The development of the Kwale mine started in November 2011 and was successfully completed in November 2013.

Primary Metals: Ilmenite, rutile, zircon.

Secondary Metals: Not stated.

Geology/Mineralisation: The Magarini sands, which host the Kwale deposit, are of aeolian origin deposited as coastal dunes following conditions of intense erosion. The poorly stratified deposits form a belt of low hills running parallel to the coast. Heavy minerals, mainly ilmenite, rutile and zircon, are concentrated locally and are abundant in some places. The deposits also contain a clay and silt fraction of 25% to 30%.

The general stratigraphic sequence of the Kwale deposit consists of brown sand at the surface, followed by orange or reddish sand, becoming more beige or pinkish at depth. The base of the deposit is weathered sandstone from the Mazeras sandstone.

Reserves: Total proven and probable reserves as at June 30, 2019, were estimated at 62-million tonnes, with a heavy minerals assemblage of 57% ilmenite, 13% rutile and 6% zircon.

Resources: Total mineral resources as at June 30, 2019, were estimated at 285-million tonnes, with a heavy minerals assemblage 52% ilmenite, 13% rutile and 6% zircon.

Mining Method: Hydraulic mining.

Major Infrastructure and Equipment: Kwale includes an hydraulic mining unit, a wet concentrator plant, a slimes and tailings disposal, a mineral separation plant, product storage and shipping, power supply using a 14 km 132 kV transmission line and substation, and process water supply from a water storage dam on the Mukurumudzi river and additional groundwater sources.

The mine has a dedicated bulk storage and shipping terminal at Likoni, about 50 km north of the mine site.

Prospects: The last blocks of the Central Dune orebody were mined during the quarter ended June 2019, with the transition from Central Dune to South Dune completed in the same month.

Contact Details:
Base Titanium
Tel +254 20 513 0100
Email info@basetitanium.com
Website http://basetitanium.com

 

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

Comments

The content you are trying to access is only available to subscribers.

If you are already a subscriber, you can Login Here.

If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe now, by selecting one of the below options.

For more information or assistance, please contact us at subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za.

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION