JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Aim-listed metals processing group Berkeley Mineral Resources (BMR) said on Monday that a technical team from Ascot Group arrived in Zambia to survey and inspect the tailings of BMR’s Kabwe lead/zinc project.
Ascot, appointed by BMR last year to draw up plans for a lead and zinc beneficiation plant at the Kabwe mine site, was expected to deliver its conclusions to BMR next month, said BMR chairperson Masoud Alikhani.
The technical team, led by Ascot CEO Ray Power, had received the results of metallurgical testing carried out from July to December 2012 by BMR’s joint venture partner Yunnan Xiangyun Feilong Nonferrous Metal Company.
The historical-mine processing procedures and related information had also been supplied to Ascot, BMR confirmed in a statement.
Alikhani pointed out that, once Ascot completed its investigations and the final report on a process for the optimisation and commercial exploitation of the tailings produced, the group could finalise a prefeasibility study for the processing of both the wash plant and leach plant tailings.
Ascot was tasked with overseeing and managing the design finalisation, installation and commissioning of the beneficiation plant.