Pilot rutile mining to start in Lilongwe soon
Sovereign Metals Limited has said it will embark on a three months pilot mining and land rehabilitation programme at its Kasiya Rutile and Graphite Mine in Lilongwe.
The results from the pilot programme, according to an announcement from the company, will allow the firm to determine optimal excavation, backfill and land rehabilitation approaches.
The pilot phase will also be a demonstration to local communities of the successful rehabilitation of land for agricultural use post-mining, and will also provide critical information for the upcoming definitive feasibility study (DFS).
The exercise follows the recent graphite flotation and cleaning test-work conducted on the mine.
The miner carried out sample tests in four laboratories across the globe and results showed superior quality graphite at Kasiya.
Reads the company’s statement: “Sovereign Metals Limited will excavate approximately 150 000 bench cubic metres of ore from a test pit over a three-month period using a combination of dry and hydraulic mining techniques.
“Excavated material will be processed on-site and at Sovereign’s laboratory in Malawi and will also provide additional bulk samples for graphite product qualification.”
According to the company, the project also demonstrates strong support for mining projects in Malawi with all required approvals and community permissions for the pilot phase obtained within three months.
The objectives of the pilot phase include optimisation of mining methods by construction of a pilot-scale open pit close to the maximum depth of the current reserves at 20 metres.
Sovereign Metals Limited said it has since received approvals and permissions from the Malawi Environment Protection Authority, National Water Resources Authority, Ministry of Mines and the local community for the pilot programme.
Sovereign Metal managing director Frank Eagar said advancing to a pilot phase is an important milestone for Kasiya Rutile and Graphite Mine.
He said: “This covers the full spectrum of engineering and design, logistics, materials handling, water and environmental approvals, stakeholder engagement, livelihood restoration, tailings management and land rehabilitation.
“The scale and results from this phase will significantly enhance our knowledge base from the previous laboratory-based studies.”
Test results completed at multiple laboratories also show low impurity graphite which is ideal for anodes that can be used in car and industrial batteries.
