PERTH (miningweekly.com) – A scoping study into the Mannar Island heavy mineral sands project, in Sri Lanka, has indicated that the project was economically robust, with owner Titanium Sands now vowing to undertake further definitive feasibility work.
The ASX-listed company noted that initial production from the Mannar Island project would most likely occur on a zone measuring 10 km by average of 2 km wide, which contains an estimated 92.56-million tonnes of resources, at 5.24% total heavy mineral, out of a total resource estimate of 264.93-million tonnes.
“The scoping study has indicated the potential for an economically robust long-life project, which gives Titanium Sands the confidence to examine in more definitive studies expanding the project concept to a second or even third dredge and commensurately larger processing capacities,” said MD Dr James Searle.
The project development would be dependent on a number of factors, including regulatory approval from the Sri Lankan regulators, the grant of a mining license and licenses for the transport and export of mineral products.
Searle said that financing for the project would also need to be secured.