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MODERN MINING
June 2017
MINING News
Birrell Mining International (BMI) has
announced the re-opening of the recently
acquired Bosveld Mining’s Klipwal gold
mine in KwaZulu-Natal.
BMI completed the purchase of Bosveld
Mines from Stonewall Mining earlier this
year, after having been responsible for the
care and maintenance programme since
early 2016. The transaction retains the
BEE ownership structure whereby 26 %
is owned by predominantly community-
based BEE partners.
The BMI board, under the chairmanship
of Graham Briggs (former Harmony Gold
CEO), approved the transaction following
in-depth reviews of resource and opera-
tional potential across the mine. The mine
has had an extensive operational history
with substantial surface and underground
infrastructure, providing a platform for
both current operations and further under-
ground development.
BMI has completed nine months of
recommissioning of the plant and several
levels underground as well as bulk test
work. Production began last month (May).
Initial results indicate stable production
at reasonable grades with good levels of
recovery. An experienced management
team, headed by Tony Knight, will allow
Birrell Mining reopens Klipwal gold mine in KZN
The Klipwal gold mine is situated in the Pongola area of KwaZulu-Natal, some 70 km from the Swaziland border.
rapid expansion. Under Briggs’s guidance,
this will include the expansion of the mine
and deeper level underground mining and
development, as well as the recommission-
ing of lower levels from July 2017 onward.
Of critical importance is the operation’s
management of the illegal mining activity
which had plagued the safety and future
viability of the Klipwal underground work-
ings in recent months. “Due to the high
levels of illegal activity at Klipwal, it was
decided to utilise the local illegal min-
ers as the main workforce and keep the
sophistication of mining at very low levels.
This meant many ex-illegal miners could
operate safely, within our strict safety
regulations and managerial control, while
earning a regular income and adhering to
legislative requirements around contractor
employment,” says Briggs.
The ex-illegal miners (zama zamas) now
form co-operatives. They are contracted
as legal entities by the mine to complete
hand-lashing and tramming within por-
tions of the mine that are rendered safe by
the company.
The co-operatives are trained and men-
tored and remunerated based on each ton
lashed and trammed to a collection point.
“This method has had a profound effect
on several levels. The operation reverts
to mining methodologies of several years
ago and the co-operatives (miners) are
paid according to their production levels.
Management and control is now relatively
easy as the co-operatives are motivated
and self-disciplined,” states Briggs.
Bosveld has a long-term target pro-
duction of between 12 and 15 thousand
ounces of gold per annum.
Bulk sampling starts on newMustang licence area
ASX-listed Mustang Resources says it has
taken another significant step in its strategy
to ramp up processing at the Montepuez
ruby project in Mozambique with the start
of bulk sampling on the recently-acquired
Licence 8245L area.
Mustang says the licence is highly
strategic because it borders the existing
Montepuez licence areas of Mustang on
one side and the lucrative ruby project
owned by London-listed Gemfields on the
other. Importantly, it lies along the south-
east, north-west ruby mineralisation trend,
which also transects the adjacent Gemfields
licences.
A February 2017 site visit by Mustang
consultant Paul Allan confirmed that arti-
sanal miners are recovering high-quality
rubies from this licence area.
Mustang has made a strong start to the
bulk sampling at 8245L, with more than
10 000 tonnes of gravel already delivered
to the Montepuez processing plant from Pit
NT01. Mineralisation within the pit is shal-
low with a very low strip ratio.
Initial manual test pitting by Mustang
across a broader area of 8245L has gener-
ated strong results, with 11,75 ct (a 9,45 ct
ruby and a 2,30 ct corundum) recovered
from 2 726 kg of gravel (from seven manu-
ally dug pits) processed through Bushman
jigs, highlighting the high-grade potential
of the area.
Mustang reports that the commission-
ing of the upgraded processing plant at
Montepuez has been highly successful and
processing rates are now ramping up.
Given this excellent progress, Mustang
says it is confident that it will achieve its
targeted processing rate of 1 500 tonnes a
day within weeks.