Modern Mining January 2019

MINING News

Balama Central FS indicates “outstanding returns” assembly of lithium ion batteries.”

applied in the first year. To enhance early cashflow, the target feed grade to the plant will average 12,5 %TGC. This is maintained for 29 years before reducing. The cut-off grade was determined through the application of project unit operating costs and recoveries. The recov- eries were determined by deposit scale geometallurgical assessment of samples representative of the variable lithology types, oxidation and TGC% grade ranges. The marginal cut off was estimated to be 3,4 % TGC for the weathered material and 2,9%TGC for the freshmaterial. An elevated cut-off grade of 6 % TGC was selected as it produced sufficient mine life. Material between the marginal cut-off and 6 % TGC will be placed on amineralisedwaste dump, separate from the main waste dumps. The Balama Central process plant will process run of mine (ROM) ore at an aver- age rate of 480 000 t/a. The flowsheet has been developed based on the results of extensive test work on various samples. Battery Minerals expects that the Balama Central process plant will include the following: ROM pad, designated stock- pile areas and the ability to blend ore on the pad; primary jaw crusher and crushed ore stockpile; primary closed-circuit rod mill; rougher flotation; concentrate regrind- ing and cleaning; concentrate filtration; concentrate drying, screening and bag- ging; and tails thickening and disposal. „ mented: “We are extremely delighted to have started our commercial diamond recoveries at Mothae on such a successful and positive note with the recovery of this 78-carat white dia- mond. Recovering such a diamond this early confirms our confidence in Mothae as a large diamond source. “We look forward to completing the pro- gressive plant ramp up phase following the implementation of a second shift at the plant.” The new Mothae plant incorporates advanced diamond recovery technology, including two XRT diamond recovery mod- ules designed to recover large and rare Type IIa diamonds ahead of the secondary crush- ing circuit, thus reducing potential diamond breakage and improving the recovery of unbroken large stones. „

Australia’s Battery Minerals, listed on the ASX, reports that a Feasibility Study (FS) has found that its second proposed graphite project in Mozambique, Balama, will cost just US$69,4 million to develop and generate outstanding financial returns. The project is located in the prov- ince of Cabo Delgado in the north of the country Balama’s strong outlook is highlighted by the study’s finding that it will generate average free operating cashflow of US$35 million a year and have a pre-tax internal rate of return of 55 %. The project’s payback period is estimated at two to three years. The study underpins a maiden ore reserve at Balama of 19,7 Mt at 11,1 %Total Graphitic Carbon (TGC) for 2,2 Mt of con- tained graphite reported at a cut-off grade of 6 % TGC. Battery Minerals’ Managing Director, David Flanagan, said Balama was a top- class project with some of the best product sizing classification, operating costs, con- centrate purity and economic returns in the graphite sector. “The Balama Central graphite project immediately adjoins the world’s largest graphite export operation, which is cur- rently being delivered into all the world’s major lithium ion battery manufacturing markets,” he said. “As a result, this area is one of the world’s most important suppli- ers of minerals which are essential to the

Battery Minerals expects to develop Balama Central after its first Mozambican graphite project, Montepuez, is commis- sioned. The company is currently in the process of completing full project financ- ing for Montepuez. Mining at Balama Central will be under- taken using standard truck and excavator methods. Drill and blast of the fresh mate- rial will be required. Pit designs for the Lennox and Byron deposits were based on Whittle pit opti- misations for each deposit considering project specific unit costs, prices, recov- eries and geotechnical inputs. The pit optimisations were constrained within the limits of the indicated resources for each deposit. The current design for the Lennox pit extends to a depth of approximately 90 m, whilst the current design for the Byron pit extends to a depth of approxi- mately 135 m. Each pit will have a single waste dump, located to the east of each excavation. Pit ramps will be oriented to ensure that both ore and waste haulage distances are minimised. Long-termore stockpiles will be located between each pit and the ROMpad. A mining schedule was completed based on the processing plant target pro- duction of approximately 58 kt/a of TGC concentrate at 96 % TGC and practical mining constraints. A 75 % ramp-up was

NewMothae treatment plant recovers 78-carat white diamond

Lucapa Diamond Company, listed on the ASX, and the Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho (GoL), announced last month (December) the recovery of a 78-carat white diamond from the Mothae kim- berlite mine in Lesotho (Lucapa 70 %; GoL 30 %). The white diamond is the largest ‘Special’ recovered through the new Mothae treatment plant following the commencement of commissioning and recovery of commercial diamonds in early December. A second operating shift has now also commenced at the Mothae plant as part of the progressive ramp up to the 1,1 Mt/a nameplate capacity. Lucapa MD Stephen Wetherall com-

The 78-carat white diamond (pre-boiling) recovered through the newMothae treatment plant (photo: Lucapa).

18 _ MODERN MINING _ January 2019