PERTH (miningweekly.com) – A prefeasibility study (PFS) into the Bumamani and Kwale North Dune deposits has confirmed that the mine life at the Kwale mineral sands operation, in Kenya, could be extended until mid-2024.
Dual-listed Base Resources said on Friday that the Bumamani PFS concluded that it is economically feasible to mine smaller, higher-grade subsets of the Bumamani deposit and the Kwale North Dune deposit concurrently with the Kwale South Dune deposit, which would extend the mine life of Kwale Operations by seven-and-a-half months to July 2024.
This extension would provide additional time for Base Resources to develop further opportunities within Kenya, and the region, while maintaining operational continuity, the miner told shareholders.
The PFS estimated that an up-front capital investment of $13.6-million would be required for the project, for the acquisition of land and the additional mine services and infrastructure that would be required. Mining operations would use existing hydraulic mining units relocated from the South Dune and the mined material would be processed through Kwale operations’ existing concentrator and mineral separation plants.
The enlarged project is expected to produce 34 000 t of rutile, 113 000 t of ilmenite and a further 13 000 t of zircon at an operating cost of $261/t produced.
Base noted that the operating cost per tonne mined was consistent with current Kwale operations performance but operating costs per tonne produced would be higher as a consequence of the lower heavy mineral grade resulting in lower production. On the basis of these outcomes, the Bumamani PFS has forecast net post-tax cash flows totalling $16.5-million.
A definitive feasibility study is now underway to improve the accuracy of project estimates.