Modern Mining November 2019

Strong ramp-up at Bisie tin mine Tin production at the new Bisie mine of Alphamin Resources in the DRC’s North Kivu province was up 269 % in the quarter ended September 30, 2019 over the prior quarter. Plant performance was up 50 % while overall recoveries improved to 65 % during the months of August and September (as against the target of approxi- mately 72 %). The mine delivered an excellent safety performance with zero lost time injuries during the quarter. Contained tin production increased to 2 345 tons during the quarter from the 636 tons in the prior period, reflecting improved plant recoveries and higher tin grades from underground. Tin grades mined and processed increased in the quarter to an aver- age 5,6 % Sn, which is expected to taper off to between 4 % and 5 % Sn during Q4-2019. Alphamin expects contained tin produc- tion of between 2 000 tons and 2 200 tons for the quarter ending December 2019. Outbound road conditions necessitated the procurement of additional outsourced trucks in order to significantly reduce the current tin concentrate stockpile on-mine. Alphamin says it antici- pates much improved tin concentrate sales during Q4-2019. 

One-ton bags of final product at Bisie ready for despatch (photo: Alphamin).

Containers loaded at Longonjo Pensana Metals, which is listed on the ASX and is developing the Longonjo NdPr project in Angola, reports that four containers car- rying over 60 tonnes of near surface weathered mineralisation have been loaded at the Longonjo rail siding for despatch to Perth, Australia via the Benguela rail line and the Port of Lobito. Pilot plant testwork on this bulk sample will enable the detailed process route design to be finalised and batches of NdPr rich concentrate produced to be sent to potential customers in China. In addition, an estimated 190-hole, 7 000-metre, reverse circu- lation (RC) infill drilling programme has commenced at Longonjo. The drilling is designed to provide detailed data to support an upgrade of mineral resources currently in the inferred category to the measured and indicated mineral resource categories, as well as to test several potential extensions to known mineralisation. A drone aeromagnetic survey has also begun. The survey is designed to map high grade mineralised, potentially steeply dip- ping, ring dyke structures around the margins of the carbonatite beneath soil cover to aid in targeting exploration drilling to test for potential extensions to the currently defined mineralisation. 

November 2019  MODERN MINING  17