Name: Tshipi Borwa mine.
Location: The mine is located in the Kalahari Manganese Field, in South Africa’s Northern Cape province – the largest manganese-bearing geological formation in the world.
Mine Owner/s: Tshipi é Ntle Manganese Mining.
Brief History: The first shipment of manganese ore from the Tshipi Borwa mine was exported through State-owned transport and logistics utility Transnet’s Port Elizabeth bulk ore terminal during December 2012, 13 months after the mining operations at the mine started in November 2011.
Brief Description: The Tshipi Borwa mine is a leading manganese ore producer.
The mine has a confirmed life-of-mine reserve of about 30 years. Being operated in terms of a contractor-operator model has enabled the mine to become one of the lowest-cost manganese ore exporters globally and a flexibly scaled production process in response to manganese ore price volatilities and market conditions.
Primary metals: Lumpy and fines manganese ore product.
Secondary metals: Iron, silicon oxide, phosphorous, sulphur, calcium oxide, aluminium oxide and magnesium oxide.
Geology/Mineralisation: Tshipi is located on a large and homogenous orebody, which is located in the southern portion of the Kalahari manganese field, the largest manganese bearing geological formation in the world.
Reserves: Total proven and probable reserves as at February 28, 2019, were estimated at 94.24-million tonnes grading 36.49% manganese and 4.57% iron.
Resources: Total mineral resources as at February 28, 2019, were estimated at 431.65-million tonnes grading 33.16% manganese and 4.92% iron.
Mining Method: Drill-and-blast and load-and-haul mining techniques.
Major Infrastructure and Equipment: Tshipi Borwa has an established and efficient export infrastructure, including an 8 km private rail siding loop, and one of the fastest loadout stations in the Kalahari region, with direct access to the Transnet rail link and seven terminals across four ports in South Africa.
The run-of-mine ore is processed in primary and secondary crushers and screened to produce lumpy and fines products. A state-of-the-art primary and secondary crushing and screening plant, as well as a stockpile management system, has been designed specifically to minimise the double-handling of material and to be water and energy efficient.
Prospects: Tshipi é Ntle Manganese Mining signed an agreement with South32 in June 2019 to mine the barrier pillar between the Tshipi Borwa and Mamatwan manganese mines.
The agreement is expected to start on August 1, 2019, and will expire on the date that ore mining has been completed by both parties and respective rehabilitation obligations in each party’s mining area have been completed in accordance with environmental legislation and agreements.
Tshipi’s ore extraction period is expected to be 24 months. A revised mining plan and budget are being prepared.
Contact Details:
Tshipi é Ntle Manganese Mining
Tel +27 87 845 1368
Email office@tshipi.co.za
Website https://www.tshipi.co.za