Modern Mining April 2017

MINING News

A recent view of the Balama site (photo: Syrah Resources). Balama project on course for Q2 commissioning LTIs or significant incidents in 2017.

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. 

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

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 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. 

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

14  MODERN MINING  April 2017