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MODERN MINING
April 2017
MINING News
ASX-listed Syrah Resources is continu-
ing to make good progress on its Balama
graphite project in northern Mozambique
and says that commissioning remains on
schedule for Q2 2017 and that the capital
budget remains unchanged at US$193 mil-
lion. The excellent safety record on site
has been maintained and the project has
now achieved 1,2 million hours with no
A recent view of the Balama site (photo: Syrah Resources).
Balama project on course for Q2 commissioning
LTIs or significant incidents in 2017.
According to the company, the overall
process plant construction progress was
70 % as at mid-March with all engineer-
ing and procurement complete. Mine
development is also progressing well, with
mining facilities including the warehouse
and wash down pads complete. Topsoil
removal from the Balama West Stage 1 pit
is complete and mining of ore is scheduled
in May 2017 for commissioning of the pri-
mary crusher.
A temporary laboratory will be estab-
lished in April 2017 to receive grade
control and ore characterisation samples
from the mine.
The mine will be powered by an on-site
15,4 MW power station. All seven genera-
tors have now been installed on concrete
foundations, the E-Room building has
been placed and electrical works includ-
ing installation of cable trays and the main
transformer are underway.
Snowden delivered a full feasibility
study (FS) on the project in May 2015,
which confirmed Balama as the world’s
largest flake graphite project. As detailed
in the FS, Balama will have a nameplate
capacity of 350 000 tonnes of concentrate
per annum at 95 %Total Graphitic Content
(TGC), with the reserves being sufficient
for over 40 years of operation at full pro-
duction. The average head grade will be
approximately 19 % TGC during the first
10 years of operations.
Mining kicks off at Rukwa in Tanzania
Mininghas commenced at Edenville Energy’s
Rukwa coal project in western Tanzania and
the crushing of several hundred tonnes of
coal has already been completed.
Most of the coal produced so far has
been crushed using a temporary crush-
ing facility the company has refurbished
alongside its partner, Upendo. The result-
ing product has subsequently been sold to
a customer with the intention of providing
larger scale, long term sales once the main
wash plant facility is operational.
Edenville, listed on AIM, says the acquisi-
tion of the wash plant is now complete and
notes it was purchased at a competitive
price. Along with a spares inventory, gen-
erators for the plant and site, and a crusher
optimised for coal, it is being packed for
shipment from the UK to Tanzania. In par-
allel with the shipping of the plant, further
earthworks are being initiated for the plant
site and to provide additional access roads
for coal trucks.
The increase in equipment on site will
also allow a Run of Mine coal stockpile to
be established in order to provide feed for
the wash plant and crusher when installed
on site.